Love of My Dreams
by Mystic Lady Fae
Summary: From his cell in a mental institution, Mort Rainey dreams of comfort in the form of an angel...but is that all she is? A vision? COMPLETE!
1. Of Madness and Confinement

Disclaimer: I don't own **_Secret Window_**, although I wish I did!

AN: Yay, new story! I hope that you all weren't too depressed by the ending of my last story…I'll try and make this one a bit happier. Oh, stuff in italics are usually thoughts, but are sometimes an emphasis on words or ideas…it should be obvious what's what, but if not, let me know and I'll change stuff around. Anyway, enjoy this new idea of mine, and please leave a review! Happy reading!

**Chapter 1: Of Madness and Confinement**:

_Mort's POV_:

Rocking back and forth on his bed, Mort Rainey stared at an obscure spot on the floor of his room, trying to figure out how and why his life had taken such a horrible turn.

"That's easy, pilgrim," replied a Southern twang in his head. "I'm here, and I'm not goin' anywhere anytime soon."

'_You bastard!_' Mort mentally snapped back at his alternate personality. '_You killed them_! _You've ruined my life_!'

"_Tsk, tsk_," Shooter chided him. "That's no way to treat someone who's done you a favor…or four."

'_Those weren't favors, you murdered four people!_' Mort "yelled" back.

"Those were still favors," Shooter calmly replied. "Ted and Amy betrayed you, and that old man and investigator friend of yours were going to expose us for what we did. I took care of them for you, so those were favors."

Mort growled aloud, but didn't reply. His life had been a nightmare since that hick of a second personality showed up at his door and in his head. Everything, including his freedom, was gone. Shooter had killed his dog, burned his house, and killed four people, two of which he cared about…_Amy_…sure he had hated Amy for what she'd done, _but not enough to want to kill her_! Not only that, but Shooter had made Mort a social outcast in Tashmore Lake and all the nearby towns. No one wanted to go near him, and the only way to get food was to order it online or drive fifty miles to get it. Still, no one wanted to go near his cabin to deliver the things he had ordered online, and he usually had to go and get it himself. _I didn't even get my newspaper or mail anymore_…

But Shooter's influence hadn't stopped there. Not long after the murders, he had taken control of Mort's body and had tried to live through his creator's life. Eventually, when Shooter had finished writing his own story, he's had nerve to go to Mort's agent with the piece and tried to get it published. Fortunately (_or unfortunately, depending on you point of view_), his agent, Jacob, had noticed the change in personality and had called the cops while Shooter had been preoccupied with a shelf of books in the lobby. Twenty minutes later, he was being taken away in the back of a police car.

That had been three weeks ago, and here they were…in the state mental hospital.

'_Well, at least I can't hurt anybody while I'm here,_' Mort thought, rubbing his face with his hand and turning to stare at the beige wall. '_And at least I have my body back after Shooter turned coward and moved to the back of my head._ _Guess I might as well enjoy the peace and quiet while I can._'

"And what makes you think that life will get all peaceful-like?" Shooter asked. Mort could almost hear him raise an eyebrow in skepticism. "You can't do much while you're in here…no writing because they're afraid you'll hurt somebody, and you're not allowed anywhere by yourself. What have you got here to enjoy?"

'_A life without the fear of you hurting someone else,_' Mort said back, looking out the window at the puffy clouds in the sky.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." The coldness in Shooter's voice disturbed Mort a great deal. "After all, accidents happen all the time."

'_What do you mean by that?_' Mort cried, fully panicked.

Shooter didn't answer.

Trying to forget about Shooter's words, Mort lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling until he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_  
Days Later: Mort's POV_: 

Life in the hospital couldn't be stranger, in Mort's point of view. He had expected to encounter odd people with a variety of mental illnesses, but _expecting_ and _experiencing_ were two different things. Sometimes Mort didn't know who to fear more: Shooter, or some of the people in the hospital! At least the nurses and doctors were kind to him…

'_But they're only nice to you because you're nuts_,' he thought to himself.

It was true. Even though Shooter had retreated to the back of Mort's mind and given him control of his body, Mort knew that at any moment, any _second_, his violent half could emerge at any time his chose. Thanks to a very few occasions where Shooter had shown up when Mort was angry or upset, the nursing staff were convinced of Mort's mental illness and did their best to keep him happy and calm. They also kept syringes of sedatives on hand to use when he was too 'worked up.'

But happiness in the mental hospital was the last thing that Mort wanted. He wanted to be out in the world, he wanted to be back at his cabin with his computer, surrounded by the peace and quiet of the woods and the lake. He didn't want the bland, sterile confines of the hospital or the false sympathetic smiles of the staff. He wanted to be free…free of Shooter, free of the madness, free of this damn hospital!

"That's never goin' to happen, pilgrim," Shooter replied, amusement apparent in his voice. "I'm here for good, so you might as well get used to it. I don't plan on going anywhere soon."

'_We'll see about that,_' Mort snarled as he went out into the gardens for some fresh air.

There may not be any forest, but if he closed his eyes, he could imagine that he was at home by the lake, where he belonged.

* * *

_  
Fourth Week of Confinement: Mort's POV_: 

"If they don't let me out of this place soon, Mr. Rainey, something drastic is going to happen," Shooter growled as Mort stared at the ceiling of his small room.

'_Well that's not going to happen unless you stop showing up and threatening to kill people_, _Mr. Shooter_,' Mort replied mockingly.

"I only do that because they make you angry," Shooter answered, sounding annoyed at Mort mocking him. "Remember, that's what I'm here for; to act out what you don't have the guts to do for yourself."

'_I don't want to hurt any of these people; they're only trying to help me._' God, hurting anyone at the hospital was the _last_ thing that he wanted. All he wanted was his life back, was that too much to ask?

"Mr. Rainey?" asked a voice…a _real_ voice, _not_ Shooter's!

"Yes?" Mort said as he instantly sat up.

A nurse stood in the doorway of his room, a clipboard in her hands and a small smile on her lips. "You have a visitor waiting for you."

Mort leapt up and followed the nurse down the hall, instantly noticing the large orderlies following them as they walked. These guys were big enough to take on professional wrestlers, and that was the reason that they both put him at ease and scared the shit out of him every time he saw them.

"Now why would you both like these fellas and hate them at the same time?" Shooter asked, sincerely amused at his host.

'_Because being around these guys is the only thing that keeps you from doing terrible things to innocent people_,' Mort replied, trying to ignore the large men following him as he walked.

"Now that isn't very nice, Mr. Rainey," came Shooter's annoyed voice. "After all, I'm here to help."

"The only thing you've ever '_helped_' with is ruining my life!" Mort cried, clutching his head.

The nurse stopped walking to turn and look at him. At a signal from the nurse, the two large men grabbed Mort's arms to pull them away from his head and restrain him. After a few moments of silence and no further reactions or vocalizations, the nurse slowly came forward. Forcing him to look up, the nurse waited for Mort to meet her questioning gaze.

"Mr. Rainey, are you alright?" she asked. Mort looked her straight in the eye and nodded.

Satisfied, but still cautious, the nurse led a guarded and restrained Mort down the hallway and towards the visitor's area of the hospital. It was the first time in a month and a half that Mort had had a visitor, and he was curious as to who it could be. When he walked in, he was excited and confused to see his agent seated in a chair at a table, an empty seat in front of him.

Jacob Sawyer smiled and nodded at the seat in front of him, indicating that Mort should take a seat. He did so, and was unnerved that the nurse and orderlies remained to observe their conversation. However, the added security would ensure that Shooter couldn't try anything, so it was okay by _him_. Content with that thought, Mort turned his attentions towards his long-time agent and friend.

"Hiya, Mort," Jake said, leaning forward in his seat, his arms propped on the table as they supported him.

"Hey, Jake," Mort replied, giving his friend a small smile.

"How are they treating you in here?" Jake asked, nodding towards the nurse and orderlies.

"It's okay, the staff is nice, though the décor is bland as heck," Mort jokingly replied.

Jake chuckled. "Yeah, I can imagine that," he said, still smirking. Suddenly, his smile vanished as he leaned closer. "Mort, I'm sorry that I had to do this to you."

Mort winced and looked away. "It's not your fault," he whispered, looking at the floor. "I haven't been myself for a while, and I'm glad that you caught it before something happened to someone." _Before something else happened_, Mort thought.

"I'm sorry to say that you're going to have to be here a while, at least until the staff here feels that you're up to being released." Jake said apologetically. "For your own good, you understand."

"I'm sorry to say that I have to agree with you," Mort replied, looking his friend in the eye. Jake looked surprised at his reaction. "I don't want to risk hurting anyone. I'm trusting you to take care of everything at my cabin and in my affairs until I get out of here, Jake. I know you can do that for me."

Jake sighed. "Don't worry, Mort, you'll get out of here soon," he said, reaching over to clap Mort on the shoulder. "You'll be sane and free before you know it."

* * *

_  
Three months later, Mort's POV_: 

"Now Mr. Rainey, there's no need to get upset," said a nurse. "It's only a mild sedative and you shouldn't feel a thing."

"For the last time, I'm not crazy and I don't need a shot!" Mort yelled, pulling against the straightjacket he was wrapped up in.

It had been weeks since Shooter had left him, and Mort was _still_ being treated for a condition he no longer had.

_**Flashback to three weeks ago:**_

"I'm getting mighty tired of this here place, Mr. Rainey," commented a very annoyed John Shooter. "Everything here is bland…the walls, the furniture, the food…heck, even the people here are bland! What do you say we get out of here?"

'_Can't happen until you get the hell out of my head, Shooter_,' Mort replied, once again staring at the ceiling above his bed. Oddly enough, he found the pale beige color to be soothing. It got his mind and body to relax and let his creativity flow. It also pissed Shooter off like heck.

When Shooter didn't reply, Mort started to get a bit hopeful. Silence usually meant that Shooter was thinking thing over and would leave Mort in peace for at least a few moments. Quiet moments like that were becoming more frequent, and the fragile hope of Shooter leaving had grown stronger with each passing day. Now Mort held his breath, waiting for a reply.

"When you're right, you're right, pilgrim," Shooter replied. "But I still ain't too comfortable leaving you all alone like this. I was made to take care of you, and if something bad should happen, you'd be helpless without me."

'_I can take care of myself, Shooter_,' Mort argued. '_All of my problems except this one are gone, thanks to you, and the only way this problem will end is if you're gone. That's all there is to it_.'

"True, true," Shooter said, sounding thoughtful. "I reckon that you're right." There was a brief moment of thoughtful silence. "You made me to take care of your pesky little wife and her boy-toy, and now that they're gone, there ain't a reason for me to stick around no more."

'_So you're leaving_?' Mort asked, thoroughly amazed and suspicious. '_No one ever gives up that easily, Shooter_.'

"I ain't really giving up, Mr. Rainey, I'm just changing into a different form for you to use," the dairy farmer replied. "After all, I'm still a part of you. I'm the aggressive side that you've never really shown to anyone; a sort of outlet, if you will." Mort could swear that he heard him smirk. "I'll always be here inside your head, just in a different, what do you call, _manifestation_…whether I come out or not depends on how long you can keep your anger bottled up inside you."

Then he was gone…

_**End Flashback**_

Now, three weeks after being freed, there was no way for Mort to prove that he was sane. He had acted like he always did: quietly, calmly, without any sort of conflict until one of the other patients decided that Mort was the perfect target to act out on. It was only then that he acted out, defending himself as best he could. The problem with that was that he was so much stronger than everyone else. The other patients consisted of hunched-over, weak-limbed people who were on so much medication that they couldn't tell whether it was day or night. Since Mort was usually so calm, the nurses had decided to not medicate him to the extent of the other patients, but instead simply made sure that he was well watched and that all of his guards had effective sedatives on them. He was even allowed to write stories with pencils. The problem was his strength: it assured that when he acted out, he was often seen as the attack_er_ and not the attack_ed_, so the staff did not believe that he was sane and merely defending himself. Like today, where a patient had wanted his glasses and stolen them off his face; Mort had simply held the man in a passive headlock to get them back.

He felt a prick of pain in his leg and felt velvet-soft warmth flow through him as he drifted off into dreams.

* * *

_  
Dream Sequence: Mort's POV_: 

Soft touches, kind eyes and a comforting voice…what a wonderful dream… it was the an angel, he was sure of that…her skin was a perfect, glowing pale gold, and her bright auburn hair was caught in an eternally soft blowing breeze…Mort sighed in bliss and reached for her…

"MR. RAINEY!"

Mort's eyes shot open and he sat straight up in bed. "What?" he gasped, looking around the room.

The large orderly at his bedside rolled his eyes. "You've been out for over twelve hours, Mr. Rainey," he said, his chest rumbling as he spoke. "The staff was becoming concerned."

Mort lay back down on his bed and rubbed his eyes with his right hand. "Well I wouldn't sleep for so long if they stopped pumping my body full of sedatives," Mort muttered, hoping that the man wouldn't hear. Apparently, it didn't work.

"They do it for your own good, Mr. Rainey," he said, taking a quick glance over Mort to see if he was really stable.

He rolled his eyes. "Well," Mort took a look at the name stitched on the white uniform, "_Rick_, maybe they should try taking me to a psychiatrist instead of drugging me, have they thought about that?" He combed his fingers through his blonde locks of hair.

Rick snorted. "Of course they have," he said, rolling his eyes in annoyance at being questioned by a patient. "They just have to decide whether you're a danger to the doctors or not. If you aren't, they'll let you talk to one; if you are, it's the drugs that keep visiting you."

Mort sighed. "Well, what am I allowed to do today?"

It was a typical question: every time they had to drug him, they usually put limits on what he was or was not allowed to do for a few days after his sedation. This assured that he calmed down and was no danger to anyone else around him. Today he hoped that he was allowed outside for some fresh air…he felt the need to smell some flowers and enjoy the crisp spring weather.

"You can either go and sit in the Sun Room or take a walk through the hallways," the orderly replied. "No outside time for a couple days, and no access to writing utensils for at least two weeks."

Mort groaned. No pens, pencils, or even crayons for two weeks…that meant no writing. He'd been allowed to write or draw a few times before, but now the opportunities to do so were becoming few and far-between thanks to his 'outbursts of aggression.' It was too bad, because, presently, he sure had a lot to write about! At least he could go and get some sun in the Sun Room (hence the name). He could think and calm himself in the Sun Room, which had quickly become one of his favorite places in the hospital, thanks to the golden beams of light and soft breaths of cool, fresh air coming in through the large open windows.

"Okay, Sun Room it is," Mort softly said, taking a quick glance out the window and into the yard outside his window. Thank goodness he was on the second floor and had a good view of the flowerbeds and green lawn, or else…

"Alright, then, Mr. Rainey," Rick said, stepping up to Mort's side. "Let's get you some sun and fresh air. Just take it slowly today, okay?"

"No problem," Mort replied, sitting up and reaching for the robe that Rick held out to him.

Standing up and putting the robe on, Mort searched for the white slippers given to every patient in the hospital. Once those were securely on his feet, Mort took a deep breath and walked out the door and into the sterile, white hallway. There was no one there. Looking questioningly up at Rick, Mort jerked his head at the hall.

"They're all outside with a nurse or orderly to enjoy the sun," the tall man replied. "Well, except for the troublemakers."

'_Like me_,' Mort thought, both angrily and wistfully. He then turned and headed down the hallway.

* * *

  
AN: Well, how was that? I hope that it isn't too boring or anything, but it'll get better, I promise! Please review and let me know what you think of it! Thanks! 


	2. Dreams or Reality

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort or his sexy body…though I wish I did!

AN: Well, here's chapter two. I hope that it reads okay. I should mention that Mort's kind of having weird 'psychic visions'…kind of like in that show, **_Medium_** (which I don't own, but love very much). Anyone who is uncomfortable with the 'psychic vision' thing is encouraged to stick around because it will only be for the first few chapters…I'm not saying anything more than that (wink, wink). If anyone is uncomfortable with this story and its content, or if anything doesn't make sense, please leave a review or e-mail me. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 2: Dreams or Reality**:

_Sixth Month of Confinement: Mort's POV_:

Staring at the paper in front of him, Mort angrily tapped his pen, trying with all his creative talents to describe his vivid dreams. He believed them to be some sort of comfort produced by his psyche, trying to calm the internal warfare raging inside his mind. Mort frequently dreamed of a soft feminine voice whispering to him in his sleep, telling him that things would be alright and what a good man he was for staying here. Flowing red hair and doe-brown eyes would fill his vision for a brief moment before a nurse or orderly forcefully woke him and made him get up.

'_Just a few minutes longer and I might have been able to touch her myself_!' Mort thought, extremely bitter that his one safe-haven was being disturbed so frequently…it was ironic that it was being ruined by the staff members who were supposed to be helping him. '_Too bad the dream only happens when I need it the most_.'

It nearly broke him up inside that he only saw his dream-visitor when he'd had a bad day at the hospital. Whenever he'd had a good day, his dreams went unvisited, but when he'd been attacked or punished by someone, she was always there to comfort him, to whisper her support to him as he slept. In a twisted sort of way, it took Mort back to the early days of his marriage to Amy, to the times when she had been there to hold him whenever he'd had writer's block, or when he'd had a bad day. This illusionary visitor was so different from Amy, though…she was so much more supportive and comforting than Amy, so much more loyal…no wonder he enjoyed her short-lived company so much.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Mort knew that the problem was that he was falling in love with a woman that couldn't possibly exist anywhere but in his dreams…

* * *

_  
Next Day: Mort's POV_: 

"Mr. Rainey, it's time for your walk outside."

A feminine voice, but not the one from his dreams…he ignored it. Instead, he continued to scribble his ideas out on paper, trying to capture every detail he could about the woman who came to him in his time of need…_God, that sounded cheesy_…he snorted in disgust at the idea of a cheesy thought coming to him while he was writing about _her_…

"Mr. Rainey, you've got to stop writing now and take your walk with your nurse," said the voice again. "It's not healthy for you to stay inside like this all the time. It's been days since you've gone outside, and you really need the exercise."

Mort simply gave a snort/grunt at the speaker and kept writing. Once he'd worn down the point of the pencil he was using, he put it down and picked another one up. They wouldn't allow him access to a pencil sharpener of any kind, afraid he'd smash it and hurt himself with the parts, but they let him have a pile of pencils (and occasionally, pen) to write with. Now he needed to finish the description of last night's visitation before it faded from his mind, before he couldn't get it written correctly on paper for him to read later and look back on with a fondness he thought he'd never have again after Amy. He'd never forget his dream, oh no, but it wouldn't be the same after today…he needed to write this out now, while it was fresh, before it lost its effect on him.

"Mr. Rainey, you have one minute before I take the pencil and paper from you," warned the voice.

Mort continued to ignore her, focused on his task. This was too important, and he needed to get this done! '_Why can't they just leave me alone_? _Why can't they see that I'm happiest when I write about her_?'

"I'm serious, Mr. Rainey…you've got thirty seconds…"

They wouldn't seriously take away his paper and pencils, would they? They couldn't, it was his only freedom here in this hellhole they called a psychiatric hospital!

"Alright, Frank, do it."

Before Mort knew what was happening, he was being hauled back from his table and two nurses were snatching up the writing tools. Struggling against the arms of his captor, Mort watched in horror as the sheets of paper were taken out of the room and out of his sight.

"No, you can't take them away from me!" he cried, panicked. "Please, I'll be good, I promise!"

"You can have them back at the end of the day, after you've taken your walk and had some fresh air," the nurse gently replied. "After dinner, you can write as much as you want, but you need to get outside for a bit."

Mort nearly broke down and cried, but what could he do? He knew he couldn't fight these people, especially when his work, any of his work, was in danger, so he might as well give in. It was the only way to get his papers, and thus, his visions, of her back. So, instead of arguing, he simply nodded and went slack in the orderly's arms.

Surprised at the sudden weight, the orderly nearly dropped him, but was able to recover himself and put Mort on his feet. After they were sure that Mort wasn't going to try anything hostile, the nurse and orderly escorted Mort outside into the gardens.

Besides, he could always try and write later…and who knows, maybe tonight he would get another visitation?

* * *

_  
That night: Author's POV_: 

As the inhabitants of the Mary Preston Psychiatric Hospital in New York City drifted off to sleep, the staff members gathered for the traditional evening meeting to decide the fates of their patients. Most would feel that some patients had made progress, while others would declare that the same patients had in fact gotten worse. In the end, however, they would all fall into agreement about one thing or another, and some patients would be sent home even as a few new patients drifted in to take their place. Tonight's topic of discussion was…

"Morton Rainey," declared Doctor Mark Vincent, holding up a manila folder. "Holly, how do you feel about Mr. Rainey?"

The nurse from that morning's 'incident' sighed as she combed jet-black hair out of ice-blue eyes. "Well, he's obsessed with writing," she said, leaning back in her chair. "But then, he was a writer before he got put in here, so that's nothing new."

Dr. Vincent rolled his eyes as the rest of the staff broke out into giggles or chuckles. "Okay, Nurse Way, what is your _professional_ opinion and diagnosis about Mr. Rainey's mental health?" he asked, a telltale smirk betraying his professional words.

Holly Way smirked back at him. "Well, Doctor Vincent, I can tell you that he's been making good progress," she said. "He seems to be back to what his agent calls 'obsessive writing self,' the one he was before his divorce."

Frank Marcy, the orderly from that same incident that morning, snorted. "Yeah, he's a good guy, for man obsessed with a woman from his imagination." Eyebrows went up around the room. "Oh, come on, you mean you haven't actually read the stuff he writes down on those sheets of paper?"

"And you have?" Holly asked, glaring at him. "Those are private writings, and no one has the right to invade that."

"It isn't violating privacy when it's just lying there on his desk," Frank stated, trying to defend himself. "And what he writes is insight to his mentality!"

"Alright, okay," Dr. Vincent said, holding up his hands. "Let's hear what the papers say. They might hold something that could tell us more about Mr. Rainey and possibly tell us what's wrong with him."

Frank straightened himself up and put his professional face on as the others leaned in to pay attention. When Frank spoke his professional opinion on something, it was time to listen. Of all the doctors, nurses, and orderlies at the hospital, Frank was the only one that managed to get the 'inside info' on all the patients, and had it all locked up in his head. He didn't let the information out if it would ruin the patient's means to leave (especially when it was meaningless), but if he thought it was either significantly helpful towards the patient's health or told of the patient being a danger to others, he told everyone about it.

"According to his work, Mr. Rainey apparently suffers from hallucinations that are presently leading towards an unhealthy obsession with an illusion born from loneliness and long-time seclusion," he stated, his face solemn. "His hallucination is that of a young attractive woman that only comes to him when he's had a troublesome encounter with the other patients or with the staff. I believe that this hallucination, or 'vision', as he calls it, is due to his subconscious trying to please him and sooth him psychologically."

"Well, that isn't unusual," Doctor Vincent remarked, looking skeptical. "After all, lots of people retreat into fantasy if they feel unhappy or rejected by the world, so that really isn't something we should be worried about. And our subconscious only releases this images to help us cope whenever we feel threatened by something or need to escape."

"I agree," Holly declared, looking around the table. "The only thing keeping Mr. Rainey from being released is the fact that he sometimes has hostile encounters with the other patients, some of which I doubt are his fault. If he manages to keep those encounters to a minimum, I think he should be released as soon as possible." The others nodded, except for Frank.

"No, Mort Rainey is so obsessed with this 'dream girl' of his, so much so that he actually believes she exists," he said. "I've heard him talking to himself, saying how he was going to go out and find her. I heard him actually talking to the paper, as though he was telling an actual person, that he was going to search for her in every way he can."

The staff began to look worried. A person of such a deep obsession with an illusion could quickly become a serious danger to those of the public, especially to those who look even remotely similar to the patient's hallucinations. Special cases like this _definitely_ needed to be treated so that there was no danger to the public, or to the patient.

"Okay, then, I guess Mr. Rainey is going to be with us for a while, then," Doctor Vincent stated, sighing as he rubbed his face tiredly. "It's a good thing that we're getting some new help or else we'd never get anything done around here!"

The staff members chuckled half-heartedly. With the budget cuts, twists, and turns made to accommodate more patients, several experienced members of the staff had to be dismissed from the hospital. The problem was, with more patients coming in and fewer staff members, things were becoming a touch much for those already working a 12-hour day, six or seven days a week. They needed more help, but were unable to get it when it counted.

"Well, now that that's been decided, let's all get out of here and get some rest," Frank said. "I _really_ need a burger and a beer!"

"And I need to get home to my handsome hubby," Holly said, grinning. "Tony's been going nuts about not seeing me more…I mean, other than an hour before bedtime, when we brush our teeth."

"Oh, yeah, say 'hi' to him for me," Doctor Vincent said. "Goodnight, everyone!"

The staff all waved and headed out towards their cars as the night shift drifted in.

* * *

_  
That Night: Mort's POV_: 

As he lay in bed, Mort focused his eyes on the ceiling, trying to get his mind to relax. The day had been abnormally long since the staff hadn't yet returned his writings to him. The absence of his work made sure that putting his mind and body at ease was not going to happen any time soon. For the entire day, Mort had tried to keep the details of what he was trying to write in his head, but it was slowly fading away, and this was beginning to take its toll on him. If he didn't write something soon, he was going to…well, he didn't know what he was going to do, but it wouldn't be pretty.

'_And if you do anything, they'll be sure to keep you here a whole lot longer than you want to be here_,' Mort thought to himself, running his hands through his hair. If he couldn't write, what could he do?

Looking around the room, Mort tried to find something that he could do or use to occupy his mind. Technically he was supposed to be asleep, but he had an hour or two before a nurse showed up to check his room…and since he couldn't sleep, it was only fair to do something until he felt sleepy, right? Walking around the room was out of the question since it was about the size of a large closet…only enough room for a bed, desk, chair, small bed-side table, and a chest of drawers. Still, he should count himself lucky that he didn't have to share with anyone else.

Quietly moving around in the semi-dark room (a light would have attracted attention), Mort made his way to the dresser, thankful that the moon was out so that he wouldn't be blundering around and making noise. Opening the drawers, he tried to find something that he might have placed in there absentmindedly. There was nothing. Sighing, he headed back towards his bed and lay down. There was nothing worse than being a writer and having nothing to write with, especially when you've got an idea just waiting to explode onto paper.

'_Sometimes I think that they're trying to make me more insane than I already am_,' he thought, closing his eyes.

Before he knew it, he was asleep.

* * *

_  
Dream Sequence: Mort's POV_: 

_It's alright, Mort…but I'm afraid that things will only get worse before they get better_…

"But why?" he asked, reaching a desperate hand towards her…she always seemed to be just out of reach…

_Don't worry about it_, she said, her lips curled into a soft smile that put him at ease. _Just promise to remain calm until the time is right_.

"When will that be?" Mort asked, trying to give her a 'puppy-dog' look by widening his brown eyes.

She chuckled. _You'll know…trust me, you'll know_…_but promise to be calm until then_?

"I promise." He reached again for her.

She gave him a quick smile, and then she was gone.

* * *

_  
The Next Day, Mort's POV_: 

The chief doctor and his nurses had scheduled a meeting together with him for that afternoon, and Mort was not looking forward to it. He knew that it usually meant bad things, since most of the patients that went in with high hopes came out looking emotionally crushed. Very few had gone in depressed and came out absolutely ecstatic because they were being released. Mort could only hope that he was one of the latter: dreading the meeting and ending up a free man.

After finishing his breakfast, which tasted like a mixture of paste and cardboard, Mort had found a pen under his bed and was currently writing on the wall behind his dresser, hoping he wouldn't get caught defacing his room and writing without permission. He made sure to keep an ear open for anyone coming down the hallway, just in case. He had just finished the last sentence and had slipped the dresser back into place when there was a knock on the door.

Quickly tossing the pen into a slightly open drawer, Mort quietly slipped the drawer shut and sat on the bed, putting his innocent face on, knowing he wouldn't be allowed to write again for a while if they suspected him of breaking the rules. Taking a quick breath, Mort relaxed himself and smiled as a nurse came in, closely followed by an orderly, and saw that they were the same people from yesterday. What were their names again? Oh, yes, Nurse Holly and Frank. Nice people; they were nice to him and he kind of liked them…well, whenever he paid enough attention to those around him, that is.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Rainey," Nurse Holly said, giving him a bright smile. "You're looking in good spirits today."

Mort smiled and nodded. If he looked happy and sane, they might give him back his writing tools…

"Well, it's time to go see the doctors, so hop to it," she said, nodding towards the door.

The walk was quick, and after sitting there for an hour, Mort couldn't help feel anxious throughout the whole 'inquisition' they put him through. They talked in calm voices, but that only made him even more uncomfortable. Mort answered all of their questions politely, and he thought that he was making a fairly good impression when Doctor Vincent asked a question that put a severe shock to his system.

"Tell me about the lady you've been writing about, Mr. Rainey," he said, leaning forward over the desk.

Mort swallowed and opened his mouth to lie, but when he saw his work lying on the table, he knew that lying would be a bad idea. "Well," he said, licking his lips nervously, "she comes to me in my dreams and she makes everything seem okay." He gave them a small smile. "I guess you could say that she brings me comfort when I need it the most."

"According to some of these sheets, you seem to have quite the attachment to this dream angel of yours, Mr. Rainey," stated Doctor Vincent. "Do you believe that this person could exist outside in the real world?"

"Well, I guess it would be possible," Mort replied slowly. "I mean, strange stuff happens all the time, right?"

"And what would happen if there were an actual woman out there that resembled the one from your dreams, Mr. Rainey?" Doctor Vincent pressed. "What if you met her and she didn't know you or want anything to do with you?"

Mort looked up at him in horror. "No, she wouldn't do that," he whispered. "She cares about me! She told me so!" He started rubbing his face with his hands. "No, she'd never abandon me like that, I know she wouldn't…" Mort trailed off, though he still muttered denials under his breath.

"That was all I needed to see and hear." Doctor Vincent looked at the other nurses before turning his attention back towards Mort. "Mr. Rainey, such an unhealthy obsession with a hallucination could lead to you harming innocent people outside of these hospital walls. Therefore we have no choice but to admit and treat you until you are ready to let go of this image carved into your psyche."

Mort didn't even have a chance to reply before he was dragged back to his room.

* * *

_  
Back in the Board Room: Author's POV_: 

Holly watched the retreating figure of Mort Rainey with sadness and pity. "I can't help but feel bad for the guy," she softly said, blue eyes clouding with tears. "He really is a sweet man, I'm sure."

"It's for his own good," Doctor Vincent replied, falling back in his chair. "We can't let an image-obsessed man into the general public. Besides, I'm sure things will work out for him in the end …"

"We can only hope," Frank muttered under his breath. No one replied.

* * *

AN: Well, I hope that it looked okay, and that people aren't uncomfortable with a temporary 'psychic vision' to make the story more interesting. Let me know what you think by reviewing! 


	3. New Beginnings and Heartbreaking Endings

Disclaimer: If I owned Mort, I'd be living with him in his cabin and doing very naughty things with (and to) him…but since I don't, I'm stuck here writing stories about him (_sighs_).

AN: I thought I'd mention that I have no idea how things work behind the scenes of a mental hospital (staff meetings, lunches, etc), so please don't get mad at me if I'm doing it wrong. OH, and pay attention to the orderly Alexander. What celebrity does he resemble? I dare you to guess! Here's a hint: he and Johnny have been in a recent, very popular movie together with lots of swords. Enjoy this new chapter!

**Chapter 3: New Beginnings and Heartbreaking Endings**:

_Month Eight of Confinement/First Day of Training: Kayla's POV_:

Rain pounded the road, creating a curtain of water that was nearly impossible to see through. Even though it was late morning, a person could have easily assumed that it was night. Considering the driving hazards, most people would have pulled over by this time, but with her luck, she highly doubted that would have been a good idea.

"Yeah, with my luck, a rapist or something would have tried to break in and kill me," she muttered, squinting her brown eyes.

Bad enough that her financial aid had run out early due to the incredible increase in college tuition...no, things had only gotten worse. Last week, after she had spent her last dime on rent, tuition, and books, her parents had decided that they'd supported her enough through her college career and had cut off all finances that had kept her clothed and fed. One call home pleading for help to fill her empty pockets, and Kayla Baker was officially on her own and broke.

"You're far enough into college that you can get a decent job and pay your own tuition and rent," her mother had said over the phone. "You won't be getting any more money from us…unless you want to prove that you're totally incompetent."

Silently fuming at her mother's words, Kayla had tried to talk to her father. She'd tried pleading for only enough to survive until she had managed to secure a job, but he had refused and hung up on her. Holding the receiver in her hand, Kayla could have sworn that her heart had broken at the sudden rejection. She wasn't a spoiled girl who had been handed everything in life, but now her parents were treating her as though that were the case. If she could find a reason for her parents sudden abandoning of her, it would have to be because of her brother, who would be starting college in a couple years.

'_Probably trying to save up money for their precious baby boy_,' Kayla bitterly thought, her hands tightening on the wheel.

After all, didn't Mom and Dad always say that Philip was the future of the family, the one who would carry on the family name after they were gone? Philip: the precious boy-child, the one who would end up supporting their parents when they were too old and run-down to work or fend for themselves. Kayla wouldn't be able to do that, she was only a girl, after all…

"Bastards," she muttered, focusing on the road. "Where did they get the idea that a daughter couldn't possibly do something with her life?"

Sometimes it almost made her glad that they had cut her off. At least now they wouldn't expect her home for the holidays; she'd save big-time on airfare and stuff by not going, and she wouldn't have to deal with all of those lousy relatives getting on her ass about not graduating fast enough. Oh, well, she hated the tiny town she was from anyway, and looking at endless fields of wheat every morning was hardly exciting.

Narrowly missing the guardrail that prevented people from going off the road, Kayla let out a stream of curses as she redirected her car. Who would have thought a mental hospital would be so hard to get to? Or maybe it was the fact that the weather was so shitty today…the career guidance councilor at the job office on campus had said that it was a very pleasant drive up there on sunny days, and that she might like it up there.

'_Who in their right mind would actually **like** working at a hospital for the insane_?' she thought, mentally rolling her eyes.

Still, it had been the only job that she was qualified for. As a student who's major was history and writing, she wasn't quite ready (financially or education-wise) to fly somewhere historical so she could research and write a book about something. There weren't going to be any oversea class visitations by the history department for _at least_ six months, and to get in, you had to have money. So, with no other choice, Kayla had to take an office job at the Mary Preston Psychiatric Hospital.

From what she'd been told, it was supposed to be a temporary position and solution to her financial needs. However, it could become permanent if she got along well with everyone, staff and patients alike. Since she didn't have a background in medicine, she wasn't required to handle patients. Her only tasks were to sit in a secure area, safely away from the patients, and do what the staff members told her. From what she could gather, it was a flexible schedule: she could work full-time during school vacations, and work whatever hours she could when classes started up again. All she would have to do was file papers, answer phones, and page doctors over the intercom. Her reward would be a tidy twenty dollars an hour (or more, if she were promoted), full benefits, and ten days vacation.

'_Not bad, huh?_ _Not bad at all_.'

* * *

_  
An hour later: Kayla's POV_: 

'_Oh, man, I forgot how much I hate hospitals_,' Kayla thought, taking a small, experimental sniff.

Even though her grandfather had died nearly eight years ago, she still remembered how sterile and _clean_ the place could smell. Everything was white, off-white, or beige, and there were no plants anywhere. Even worse was that, despite the fact that a window or two were open to let in the scent of rain and wet plants from outdoors, the _lack_ of smells indoors quickly chased it out. Shivering at the need of atmosphere, Kayla pushed a strand of damp red hair out of her eyes and approached what she assumed was the front desk. Considering that it had a sign hanging over it that read 'front desk/reception,' she had to assume she was right.

A woman in a nurse's outfit stood within a large, isolated square area that was surrounded by plastic shielding. The shielding surrounded the entire area, and the rim of the desk came up to a seated person's chin. In the front of the desk there was a small waist-high opening so that a nurse or receptionist could address visitors through a window that slid open and shut from inside. From what Kayla could gather, this prevented patients from getting in and possibly harming anyone inside. To her, it seemed very safe indeed.

As she walked across the room to the reception desk, her sneakers squeaked, seemingly louder than normal in the quiet area. The nurse quickly turned around and smiled. Instead of waiting for her to arrive at the desk, the woman walked through a door in the back of the square. She looked nice enough, not like the evil nurse in "_One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest_" or anything. _This_ nurse was very young and pretty, with long black hair and ice-blue eyes that were friendly. What she was doing _here_ instead of working as an actress or supermodel was _beyond_ Kayla's comprehension.

"Hello, are you Kayla, the new receptionist?" the nurse asked, lips pulling back into a welcoming smile as she offered a hand to shake. "I'm Holly Way, one of the chief nurses here at the hospital."

Kayla grinned back and took the hand. "Kayla Baker," she said. "The guidance councilor told me it was an office assistant job, though."

"Well our last receptionist quit a couple days ago to get married," Holly replied, rolling her eyes. "Gave us about five minutes notice…said she was eloping to get away from her grandmother or something."

Kayla's mouth formed an 'O' shape. "Just like that?"

"Yup," Holly replied, grinning. "So you're getting promoted just like that." She snapped her fingers.

Kayla laughed. "So are you going to show me how this works?" she asked, nodding towards the desk.

"Sure, let's get you started."

Over the next several hours, Holly explained all of the rules. Kayla nearly died of embarrassment when Holly pointed out that this was a _professional_ establishment and that Kayla had shown up in jeans (black jeans, but jeans nonetheless) and a semi-casual green blouse. The blouse was alright, but from then on, she had to wear dress-pants, preferably black, dark gray or navy blue.

"Since you aren't a nurse, you can't wear a nurse's uniform," Holly explained. "And the dressy outfit will distinguish you from some of the visitors we get. Visitors usually are friends or family, and they wear whatever they want, so you'll stand out in a crowd." She winked.

Kayla chuckled. In a place like this, standing out in a crowd would take more than a nice outfit. Still, it didn't seem that bad, and she told Holly so.

Her new friend nodded. "Most of the patients here are non-violent, just occasionally aggressive," she said. "Still, everyone would prefer you to stay within the receptionist area where you'll be safe from anything the patients might pull on you. You're also to _not_ help out the patients in _any_ sort of way."

Walking over to the desk, Holly offered her a seat and proceeded to show how the computer system worked, as well as the color-coded filing system and how to answer the phone and greet visitors. There was even a refrigerator for drinks, a radio, a coffee maker, _and_ large drawer full of snacks.

Holly chuckled at Kayla's surprise and delight. "It gets kind of isolating and, dare I say it, _maddening_ in here," she said, grinning. "We try to make it as easy on receptionists as possible, considering there aren't a lot of visitors or people to talk with. The staff will usually be too busy dealing with the patients to talk with you. But on quiet rainy days like today, we usually have time to chat while patients stay in their room or go to the game room to entertain themselves…with supervision."

Kayla nodded. "So what can you tell me about everyone else? You know, staff members, patients, etc."

"Well, the staff members are people like me. Normal, friendly, yet professional people who know what we're dealing with," Holly replied. "The patients are a different story. We handle non-serious people. No violent offenders or prisoners of any sort. Some patients have the mentality of young children and behave as such. If you tell them in an adult voice not to do something, they'll listen. If they're upset, they'll throw fits and have to have a 'time-out' like children do. One thing we never do is physically harm any patients." Her piercing blue eyes focused on Kayla. "Whatever you do, don't use physical force unless you deem it absolutely necessary. If you use it lightly, the doctors will not hesitate to fire you."

Kayla nodded. "I know self-defense, so I can handle not actually harming someone," she replied. "I can easily subdue them, like pin them to the wall or floor, if that makes you feel better."

Holly let out a relieved sigh. "That'd be great," she said. "You won't be allowed sedatives, so knowing how to handle people on your own will keep a huge burden off of the staff."

"Is there anyone I should especially avoid?" she asked, leaning back in the office chair. It was surprisingly comfortable, and the padding in the back would keep a person's back from getting sore or twisted out of place.

"Well, we've been having problems with one particular patient," Holly slowly replied. "His name is Morton Rainey."

"Morton Rainey?" Kayla felt her eyes nearly fall out of her head. "As in, Mort Rainey the _author_?"

"Exactly," replied Holly. "Now, I'm only telling you this because you look like a woman that he's been hallucinating about for months. She's got the same red hair and brown eyes that you've got, and we don't want to see you hurt by him. I'm telling you this because he's been known to cause some problems with the other patients and I don't want him to get his hands on you."

"So I should just avoid him, right?" Kayla asked, suddenly worried.

"It's not that simple," her friend stated. "He's allowed to go about his own business like everyone else, and sooner or later you're going to run into him. Just remember to try and get behind the desk when you think you're in danger. Then you push this button." Holly leaned over and showed a hidden button under the desk, right by the entry door to the desk area. "Push this, and a light goes off in the roof of all the places where staff members hang out. Someone is bound to see it a minute after it goes off to come and deal with any difficulties you might have."

Now Kayla started shaking. "This is sounding more frightening by the minute," she said, trying to joke.

A soft hand touched her shoulder. "Don't worry, stuff like that rarely happens," Holly whispered. "If you know how to take care of yourself in such a situation, that's more than any of the previous receptionists knew when they were hired. I think you'll do just fine here."

"Thanks, Holly," she whispered. "I _can_ call you Holly, right?"

Laughter filled the area. "Well, duh, of course you can! That's what friends are for!" A punch in the shoulder and a ruffling of the hair followed. "Now lets go to the staff lunchroom where your wonderful meals will be served, and I can introduce you to the others."

* * *

_  
That Evening, Kayla's POV_: 

As she warmed up inside her apartment with a cup of hot chocolate, Kayla mentally went over the day's events. After being introduced to the staff, she found them to be as pleasant as Holly told her they'd be. The female nurses were happy to have another girl on the team, and the males (guy nurses and orderlies alike) just looked happy to have a new piece of ass to stare at on their breaks. At least the doctors looked like they appreciated her as a fellow worker and not something to drool over. Still, everyone was nice and gave her a warm welcome, as well as a few tips on how to handle herself around aggressive patients.

One of the perks about this job (besides the health benefits) was one of the orderlies. Alexander, or Alex, was _especially_ hot with his shoulder-length, tousled, wavy dark-brown hair and brown eyes that always seemed to be warm and smiling. Plus, he was tall andfairly muscular. He looked like he belonged in the movies, right next to Holly, or at least some other gorgeous woman. What he was doing at a mental institution was beyond her.

After a small brunch with the staff, Kayla worked the desk under the watchful eye of Holly and Doctor Vincent, chief of staff. It was rather unnerving to have the head of staff watching her work, but at least she didn't make the building explode or something while he watched. That would have been interesting…disastrous, but interesting.

After a few hours of work up front, Holly and another nurse, Mary, showed her around the different wings of the hospital, some of which were off limits to her. When she asked why, she was told that some wings were used to isolate dangerous patients or to 'punish' patients by keeping them isolated from others. Some had the legendary 'rubber rooms' that she'd seen in movies and hadn't thought actually existed. It kind of freaked her out, and she was glad that she didn't have to go into those wings. If she had to, for some reason, she would be escorted, which made her feel a _little_ bit better.

She dealt with a few visitors under the ever-watchful eyes of Holly, and was grateful that the day had managed to end without any mishaps. Any disasters would have made her look really bad in front of the others, and Kayla wasn't sure she could handle that sort of embarrassment. Still, it hadn't been that bad of a day at all.

"Now if I can only manage to get my paycheck within the next week or two, I'll be able to actually buy groceries," she said, sipping her hot chocolate. At least she got free _decent_ breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners at the hospital. That would keep food bills down.

Maybe this job wouldn't be so bad after all…

* * *

_  
That Evening: Mort's POV_: 

Something was most definitely different about the hospital today. He couldn't think of what, but the air seemed different…like something had suddenly changed for the better. It was so hard for him to explain what it was to himself, but it was there. The staff seemed a bit more chipper than usual, especially the male members of the nursing and orderly staff. The women seemed happy, but not as happy as the men. _That_ was interesting…

Setting his pen and paper aside, he leaned back in his chair and looked around his room. He had been forced to go to the game room today, even though he didn't like to play games with anyone here, staff member or patient. The orderly who had been trying to get him involved in a game or two had given up and handed him a pen and paper to write with and left him alone. Finally alone with his thoughts, as well as the tools to make them come to life on paper, Mort had eagerly 'dug in.'

With the day almost over, however, his tools were again taken away from him. The staff members were now concerned about his dreams and took every opportunity to read whatever it was he had written that day. Mort was smarter than they gave him credit for, though. He knew what they were doing, so he merely wrote out his latest story ideas for them to take and analyze as they pleased, letting them have their fun. As the staff read over what were merely fictional ideas of his imagination, Mort had been able to slip his descriptions of _her_ up his robe sleeves to be read and worked on later in his room. Smiling, Mort thought about how clever he was.

When no one was paying attention, he had managed to sneak a few pens away from the other patients during the creative time they were given to write their feelings. Even though the nurses were careful to collect the writing utensils after the writing period, they never went looking for pens that patients threw in a fit of rage. They were often too busy trying to calm down the angry patient, and by the time they remembered to go looking for it, Mort had already snatched it up. He then replaced the tossed aside pen with one that he had used up during his nightly writing sessions in his room.

Sighing, Mort leaned back in his chair and looked out the window, trying to figure out the time. From the position of the moon, it was almost time for the staff to check up on him. He'd better put his stuff away and try to get some sleep…he had a lot of writing to look forward to tomorrow. Picking up his papers and pen, he tucked them underneath his clothes in his drawers, thankful that the orderlies and nurses never invaded his clothing drawers.

Taking off his robe and laying it aside, Mort slid beneath the sheets and removed his glasses, setting them gently on the bed-side table. Lying back on the bed, he closed his eyes and tried to think of his dream-angel.

* * *

_  
Dream Sequence: Mort's POV_: 

_It's almost time, Mort_, she said, smiling at him.

"Time for what?" he asked, again trying to reach of her.

_Time for a lot of things_, she replied, shrugging. _For now, it's almost time for me to stop seeing you this way_.

Mort swore he felt his heart stop. "What do you mean?" he cried. "You can't leave me, not like this! Not while I'm still locked in here!"

_Please trust me when I say it's for the best, Mort_. She gave him a comforting smile. _I promise we'll see each other again, and it will be much sooner than you think_.

"Wait, what do you mean?" he said, panicking even further. "Please tell me what you mean!"

_I'll see you soon, Mort_, _it will just be in a different way_…

A flash of red hair in the wind, and she was gone.

"NOOOO!"

* * *

Sitting up in his room, Mort realized she was gone.

* * *

AN: I hope that was okay. At least you've now met Kayla (wink, wink). Please leave a review! 


	4. When Dreams Meet Reality

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort or his sexy body…though I wish I did!

AN: This is it, the moment people have been waiting for…when Mort meets Kayla! Well, not really, but you get the idea. Oh, and I don't know how stuff works in a mental hospital, so please remember that this is fiction and works according to what the creative voices in my brain tell me. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review as a birthday present to me!

**Chapter 4: When Dreams Meet Reality**:

_Official First Day of Employment: Kayla's POV_:

Rolling out of bed before dawn was _not_ what Kayla had in mind on a Friday morning, but if that's what it took to pay the bills, then so be it. Too bad she wasn't the coffee-drinking type…

"Maybe now would be a good time to start," she muttered as she turned on the shower.

Last night, before she went to bed, Kayla had tried to figure out her morning schedule. Technically, it took her an hour to drive up there, and she didn't have to be up at the hospital until 9:00 a.m. If it took her less than an hour to get ready, she'd have to get up at seven o'clock to make it on time. So why the _hell_ was she up at six in the morning?

"Stupid force of habit," she muttered as the smell of her citrus shower gel and the hot water began to wake her up. It was summer vacation, so school was out, and yet she was _still_ up at dawn; it was as though she were getting ready for class! "How retarded can I possibly be to keep doing this when I don't have to?"

'_Better too early than too late_,' her father's voice whispered in her head. It was one of the few good pieces of advice he had ever given her.

"Well, might as well get this party started," she muttered, turning off the shower and hurriedly drying off. After her long red hair had a ten-minute meeting with the hairdryer, she was off towards the kitchen for breakfast, wolfing down a toaster pastry and a glass of milk.

Once finished with her food, Kayla headed towards her room and rummaged through her closet, searching for something professional to wear. She didn't have any dress pants to wear, and she didn't have the money to buy anything new, so she'd have to stick to continually wearing the only professional-looking skirt she had. Since the skirt was black, she could probably make it last until her first paycheck, considering she had two-dozen tops that could go with it. She hoped that she didn't look desperate or cheap by wearing the same skirt every day, but she had no other choice.

Shaking her head, she decided on a forest-green knit-top to go with the skirt. As she slipped on her black heels, Kayla was very thankful that she didn't have to walk around a lot…these shoes were _not_ made for walking, so she'd definitely have to buy some comfortable walking/standing shoes, just in case. Finally heading out the door, Kayla hoped that today would be as uneventful as the previous one had been. Well, as uneventful as a mental institution could be, anyway.

* * *

_  
That Same Morning: Mort's POV_: 

'_She's gone_,' he thought, thoroughly shocked. '_She's really gone_…'

After he had awoken from his dream, Mort had felt a sense of emptiness, an incompleteness within his heart, all of which told him that she had indeed left him. He had been abandoned by the only source of comfort and love in his time of need, and now he was alone…there was nothing left for him anymore. She had promised that they'd see each other again, but would that really happen? Should he spend the rest of his life waiting for her to come back, or should he simply end his life now so that he could hopefully follow her to wherever she was now?

"I need her," Mort whispered to himself. "I can't deal with this by myself…I have to be with her."

But how? They were always watching him, and they would never allow him to have any sort of instrument that could prove harmful to him or to anyone else. Medication time was carefully watched, so self-poisoning was out of the question. The windows were barred, so there was no way to jump to his death…maybe if he acted out enough, they'd sedate him to out of his misery? It could work…

So why not try it?

* * *

_  
Lunchtime: Kayla's POV_: 

After nearly falling asleep for what felt like the millionth time that day, Kayla felt a hand on her shoulder. Thinking that she'd been caught falling asleep on the job, she spun around, bracing herself for a dismissal from a superior. Instead, she met the friendly blue gaze of Holly, who looked like she was about to burst out laughing.

"Easy, Kay, I'm just here to tell you it's lunchtime," she said, grinning broadly. "Sam will cover the desk for you."

Kayla let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness; I'm starving!"

Standing up and stretching cramped muscles, she gave a small wince of pain as Holly led her out of what they called "the cubicle" and into the hallway. It was a short walk to the staff dining room, but a fun one. Talking with Holly was like talking with a person's best friend, and Kayla enjoyed it very much. She didn't have very many friends in college, and this chance at a new friendship was one she was _not_ going to pass up!

After they'd picked up their lunches from the servers (burgers loaded with everything, fries, and sodas), the two women sat down and eagerly dug into their food. After every bit of their lunch had been consumed, they sat back and sipped on their soda refills. Ten minutes of digestion soon led to the two friends to compare their mornings.

"Uneventful," Kayla said, twirling her straw in her drink, listening to the bubbles fizz within the cup. "No visitors and no patients came even close to the desk." She took a sip of her Dr. Pepper. "How about your morning, Holly?"

Blue eyes rolled. "A few aggressive patients, but nothing we couldn't handle," she answered, sipping her drink. "Mr. Rainey's been unusually aggressive today, and we have no idea why." She shrugged. "Nothing we can do until he starts having visits with the doctors."

Kayla nodded. "Why is he in here anyway?" she asked. "Or is that doctor-patient confidentiality?"

Holly looked around the room. It was mostly empty except for an orderly or two, but they were too busy reading their newspaper or magazine, and they were far away enough so that what the two women said wouldn't be overheard. Leaning in closer, Holly motioned Kayla to come closer so she could fill her in.

"I could get in trouble for telling you this, but since you handle the records and stuff, you'd find out eventually," she whispered. "Plus, you signed that confidentiality form, right?" Kayla nodded. "Okay, here it goes." She leaned closer. "Turns out Mr. Rainey went through a nasty divorce after finding his wife in a hotel room bed with another man. After that, he went into seclusion in a cabin in the woods in upstate New York, and flat-out refused to sign the divorce papers. Suddenly, his wife and her lover disappear, and Mr. Rainey suddenly appears all happy and chipper with a new story for his publisher and agent."

"So what happened?" Kayla whispered, gripping her cup and wondering what could cause a man to lose his mind in such a way…not to mention abandoning reality along the way.

"Well, his agent noticed him acting kind of weird and talking with a Southern accent that he'd never had before, so he called the cops," Holly explained. "In the end, Mr. Rainey got put in here because the doctors thought he was suffering from split personalities or schizophrenia. After he started getting better, he started having dreams, or 'visions', of a young woman and became obsessed with her. Eventually, he started to think that she was really out there. We decided that such an obsession could be a danger to the public, meaning those who resembled the object of his obsession, and voted to keep him here. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be doing him much good." She took another sip of her drink.

"So remind me again of why I'm still here if I resemble the girl from his 'dreams,'" Kayla said, gesturing around. "I mean, if I'm going to make him worse, I can always try and find another job."

Holly shook her head. "No, we plan on keeping Mr. Rainey in one of the isolation wings until we're sure about his condition," she replied. "There's a chance we can cure him, and by the time we do, you'll probably be off working somewhere else." She grinned. "Or, more likely, in Europe writing a book about the Renaissance or something like that."

Kayla snorted. Holly knew all about her background, education, and dreams. "Yeah, right, I should be so lucky," she said, rolling her eyes. "I've got to pay my own way through my last two years of college first, though, _then_ save up the money and get the experience to actually do that."

"You'll do it," Holly replied, grinning to show her support. "I believe in you."

"You do?" Kayla felt her eyes mist over. "You're the first person to actually say that to me."

Before Holly could get out a reply, a soft male voice interrupted. "So what are you two ladies up to over here? Not plotting against us guys, I hope."

"Hey Alex," Holly replied. "And yes, we are planning on a huge assault on the male population of the staff." She gave him an evil grin that basically screamed 'conspiracy'.

"Then I'd better get out there and give them all a warning," Alex replied, brown eyes sparkling. "Would it help if I surrendered right now so that I'd be spared later?"

"Nah," Holly said, waving her cup nonchalantly at him. "We'd have to take you out, first."

"Thanks, Holly-babe," he said, patting her on the shoulder.

"Call me that again, and I'll send Tony after you," the nurse replied, pointing her index finger at him in a threatening manner.

"I'll go then," Alex said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Right after I give these to Kayla." He dumped a small bag of peanut butter M&Ms in front of her. "Two fell out of the machine when I got mine and I thought you might like them."

"Thanks, Alex." Kayla blushed at the attention the handsome orderly was giving her. She didn't know why he was giving the candy to her when there were a dozen others who were a lot prettier than she was.

"No problem," he said, winking at her as he walked away.

"Ooo, I think he likes you!" Holly said in a sing-song voice. "He doesn't do that with any other girl here, you must be something special, Kayla."

"Yeah, as special as green grass," she said, laughing. "Let's get back to work."

"And let's hope that things manage to pick up a bit before we die of boredom," Holly said as they tossed their trash.

* * *

_That Afternoon, Mort's POV_:

"NO, let me GO!" he screamed. "Please, just let me…"

"Mr. Rainey, for the last time, we can't allow you to harm yourself."

For the entire morning, the staff at the hospital had tried to convince him that he had everything to live for: he had fans, his work, and his agent who were waiting for him to continue what he had left behind. When he had tried to steal the sleeping pills of another patient, the orderlies had caught him and stuffed him into a straightjacket, right before they threw him into a padded room. Now they were transferring him to a different wing of the hospital so that he couldn't hurt himself or anyone else.

"I just want to be with her!" Mort screamed as he struggled against the four men holding him. "Why can't you just let me be with her!"

"Because she doesn't exist, Mr. Rainey," Nurse Holly replied. "She's just a hallucination, a figment of your imagination, and you have to let it go."

"No! She's real, I _know_ she's real!" he cried, trying to get away from the orderlies.

"Please calm down, Mr. Rainey," Nurse Holly said as she prepared a syringe of sedative for him. As soon as they reached his new room, she'd give it to him to help calm him down so he could sleep peacefully.

Mort's eyes widened when he saw the needle full of sedative. He didn't want to sleep if _she_ no longer visited him when he needed her. If he was going to be sleeping, he needed to be able to see her as soon as his eyes closed. But if she had abandoned him now, when he so desperately needed love and support, he never wanted to sleep again unless it was the permanent sleep of death. No, he couldn't let them do this to him!

"Why can't you leave me alone?" he yelled as they hauled him down the hallway towards his new room.

Nurse Holly led the way, clearing the hall as they walked past the receptionist desk. As they passed the desk, Mort saw something red flash as a person got out of the way of the passing party. Struggling to turn around and see who (or what) they had passed, Mort managed to turn around and get a glimpse of the person they had passed.

And time seemed to slow down…

Standing there by the desk, wearing a green top and black skirt, her red hair cascading down her back, was the angel of his dreams. Her brown eyes followed him as the orderlies hauled him further and further down the hall.

Going completely slack in surprise, Mort simply stared at her, his eyes never leaving her form. She was beautiful in the sunlight coming in through the windows, turning her hair into a river of copper. Mort felt his throat go dry, and he felt unable to speak or act against those holding him in their arms. Instead, he let them take him where they wanted to go. He felt them stop a moment or two, but didn't bother to see or ask why. Instead, he kept his eyes on his angel until they turned a corner and she vanished from his sight.

* * *

_That Same Moment: Author's POV_:

The four men in charge of restraining Mort Rainey were shocked when the fight seemed to drop out of him. From their experience, Mr. Rainey was not one to give up easily, and they couldn't quite understand why he had suddenly stopped resisting them. Frank, who was the head of the orderlies and one of the strongest, was currently attached to the patient's left arm, and was able to follow the patient's line of sight.

There, standing by the reception desk with a manila folder in her hands, was the newest staff member, Kayla Baker, and Frank didn't like where this was going. If Mr. Rainey had focused his attentions on Kayla, then the girl was in trouble if he got loose. Frank would most definitely have to tell the nurses and other orderlies to keep an eye on Mr. Rainey, and to be sure that he was kept far away from the new receptionist.

"Okay, boys, let's get this guy to his new home," he said, nodding to the hall.

The others nodded and proceeded down towards their destination.

* * *

_Kayla's POV_:

Watching the orderlies drag the ragged-looking man down the hall was alarming for one who hadn't seen it before. As the man gave her a wide-eyed look of what looked like fear, panic and desperation, Kayla felt a stab of pity for the patient. He didn't look insane, just in need of a friend.

'_But then again, I'm not a psychiatrist_,' she thought as she once again turned her attention back towards the folder in her hands. What was really weird was that the patient looked at her as though he already knew her from somewhere. '_But how likely could that be_?'

She snorted in amusement. Yeah, what were the odds that someone she knew ended up in a mental ward? True, some of her friends acted like maniacs that should be put in here, but it was all fun and games. They were just acting, and usually had had way too much caffeine or sugar. During those times, it was normally Kayla's job to calm everyone down before they got tossed out of the mall or wherever they were hanging out that day.

'_Guess you could say that I have had some experience with the insane_,' she thought, smirking to herself. '_Yeah, dealing with weird mental friends might qualify as experience, though probably not to the doctors here_.'

Still, the guy (or, more correctly, patient) was kind of hot for someone who was insane. Messy, chin-length blonde hair, dark-brown eyes, nicely chiseled features and facial hair…what a combination! His nurse certainly was lucky if she got to work with that guy every day!

'_Eww, now I sound like a love-struck teenager_,' Kayla mentally gagged. '_I mean, the guy is insane! He has to be here for a reason, and here you are analyzing his good looks. Now that is sick and twisted_.'

Shaking her head, she opened the door to the reception area and stepped inside. The remainder of the day was spent doing her normal duties and trying to avoid looking at the patients who tapped on the plastic surrounding her. As she got ready to head home, Holly came in and motioned her back towards the desk. Kayla felt ready to panic when she saw the look on her friend's face.

"Holly, what is it?" she asked the nurse. "Did I do something wrong? You look like you're going to fire me or something."

"Kayla, did anything unusual happen today?" Holly asked, ignoring Kayla's questions.

"Well, I saw a few orderlies carry a patient to the isolation ward, but that's pretty much it," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"Did he look familiar in any way?" Holly pressed. "Have you seen him before?"

"No, I haven't. Holly, what's this all about?" At this point, Kayla was starting to get worried.

"You've seriously never seen him before? Never seen his picture anywhere, or seen him on television for guest appearances or book promotions?"

Kayla shook her head and Holly let out a tremendous sigh.

"Kayla, that was Mort Rainey."

Kayla literally felt her heart stop. "Oh, my God…he saw me?" she whispered, clutching her purse tightly to her chest.

"Obviously he did, because he immediately stopped fighting the moment he saw you standing there." Holly laid a hand on her shoulder. "He knows that you're here, and he obviously thinks that you're the girl from his hallucinations." She let out a shaky breath. "You have to be extra careful from now on, Kayla, because now that he knows you're working here, he's very likely to come after you."

'_Oh, my God, I'm in trouble_.'

* * *

AN: I know, kind of a crappy ending to a chapter, but I didn't want it to be too long, or the next chapter would be shorter than this one. The next chapter will have a better ending, I promise. Review! 


	5. Desperate In So Many Ways

Disclaimer: If I owned Mort, I'd be living with him in his cabin and doing very naughty things with (and to) him…but since I don't, I'm stuck here writing stories about him (_sighs_).

AN: Alex could be either one of two people: Johnny Depp, or Orlando Bloom. I was personally thinking of Orlando while creating Alex, but I guess I should have put a British accent in there, huh? Well, just think of Alex as an American Orlando…or include the accent if you want. Or you could think of him as Johnny, but since he's kind of already here in Mort-form, it would just get confusing, wouldn't it? So it might be better to stick with Orlando or any other actor you may prefer. Enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 5: Desperate In So Many Ways**:

_That Night: Kayla's POV_:

Having an extremely hot author think you're the woman from his dreams might flatter some people, but Kayla wasn't so sure about the whole thing. What if he was one of those types who ends up killing others based on their resemblance to the woman he dreams about? What if he tried to do something to her when she was alone and unprotected? Should she quit her job at the hospital?

'_Okay, so I quit a job I've only had for about two days_,' she thought, sipping her hot chocolate, letting the hot liquid warm her body and sooth her mind. '_Then what happens_? _What does that say about me to other potential employers_?'

It pretty much told them that she was a person that couldn't hold up under stress, that's what. And what company would hire someone who couldn't handle stress? Not a single one. Stress and complications are a part of life, and people who can't deal with it will end up doing poorly throughout life. That was that.

'_But dealing with an obsessive mental patient is a bit unique_,' a sarcastic voice said in her mind. '_No one would blame you for quitting under such circumstances_.'

Then what happens? How fast could she find another job? She'd been lucky in finding this one so quickly, and she desperately needed the money for food. Plus, her monthly rent was due in a few weeks, and her paycheck would more than cover it and her food bills. No, she _really_ needed this job, and she would keep it. All she had to do was avoid Mort Rainey, and since he was going to be separated from her by several inches of plastic shielding, as well as orderlies, she was going to be perfectly fine.

"I mean, how hard could it possibly be?" she said, putting her empty cup in the sink and heading off to bed.

* * *

_  
That Same Night: Mort's POV_: 

It couldn't have been her, could it? The woman by the desk had looked just like her, so it had to be…the dream said that she would have to leave, but then come back in a different way, so it had to be her…yes, it was definitely her, no doubt about it.

Mort's thoughts had been in a twisted freeway of thoughts, caught in an endless cycle traveling from rationality, to hope, and back again. The woman by the receptionist desk looked _exactly_ like the woman from his dreams, so it _had_ to be her! Right? Despite the fact that she wasn't surrounded by light, and there wasn't a wind blowing her hair around, turning it into a beautiful glowing red mist around her head, the woman who had watched him be carried down the hall _was_ the woman from his dreams.

Signing, Mort lay back on his new bed in his new room. '_Oh, yes this room is so much better than the one I used to have_,' he thought sarcastically.

It was basically the same as its predecessor. Except for the window overlooking the back of the hospital and the woods that spread out behind the rear yard, everything else was in pretty much the exact same place, despite the fact that this was the isolation wing…the only other different thing was that security was much more intensified here than in the normal ward.

'_At least I got my writings before they grabbed me_,' he thought, thoroughly relieved. He'd barely had time to stuff them in his shirt and in his shoes before the orderlies had entered the room.

_Flashback_:

Frantically writing about his final night together with _her_, Mort heard giggling from the doorway of his room. Turning around, he spotted Jamie, one of the patients with the mind of a child. She was currently pointing and laughing at him like she always did, but her laughter seemed particularly cheerful today.

"What is it, Jamie?" Mort asked, exasperated with the woman's constant taunting.

"Mort's getting moved, Mort's getting moved," she sang, twirling around, her light brown hair flying around her as she danced. "They're coming for you, Mort-Mort. Have fun being in the Lonely Wing!" She winked a green eye at him and was gone.

"Moved?" he whispered. They wouldn't move him to the isolation wing, would they? The footsteps coming down the hall told him otherwise.

Panicking, Mort grabbed all of his writings and thrust them into his shirt and shoes to keep the orderlies from getting their hands on them. He couldn't let them know that he'd been working behind their backs, or they'd keep him there longer…there was no way he was going to allow that to happen, not for anything in the world!

_End Flashback _

He really had to count himself lucky that they didn't grab his actual body and search for anything when they came for him, otherwise he would never again see his work (or be able to work) while he was here, ever. It was worth the risk, though; preserving his memories of his dreams was worth being here. The upside was that while he was here, he would be left alone and not required to interact with other patients.

'But will I be allowed to see the receptionist who is the embodiment of her?' he asked.

Of course he would…he'd only tried to harm himself, not anyone else. There was really no reason for them to forbid him going outside his room; after all, he needed sunshine and fresh air as much as the next person.

'They'll probably but someone on guard to watch and follow me,' he thought, turning his attention back towards his work. It didn't matter, though, as long as he was near the lovely woman in the entryway…as long as he was near her, life would be good.

_

* * *

  
The Next Morning, Kayla's POV: _

_'Another day, another dollar,'_ Kayla thought as she entered the reception area_. 'I mean, who knew that being a receptionist at a mental institution could be so boring?'_

Despite what she'd expected, working here was pretty tame. Holly had told her that most of the patients here were non-violent and/or had the brain competence of a potato, but she'd expected something to happen once and a while. Nothing violent or tragic, though…that would be just wrong, especially if someone got hurt just because she wanted something exciting or unusual to happen.

_'Yeah, like that Rainey episode wasn't exciting enough,' she thought to herself._

That was true; having a mentally disturbed author who thought you were the girl of his dreams was freaky enough for her. If he started to stalk her or something, she just might freak out and run out of here, screaming.

_'Okay, forget exciting and interesting…I prefer dull and secure any day!'_

Enough said about that.

_

* * *

  
Same Morning: Mort's POV: _

"Alright, Mr. Rainey, since you've been considered suicidal, we're putting you under constant surveillance," Frank told him from the doorway. "You're allowed to write if you want, but one of us is going to be standing here while you do, and we're going to take your writing utensils and papers away at night to make sure that you don't hurt yourself when you're alone."

Mort grunted in reply. He really didn't care about writing now; all he wanted was to see the beautiful woman in the lobby.

"And you'll be allowed to walk around the hospital under close supervision, is that understood?"

Mort's head jerked up in interest. "I can go out and walk around?" he asked, amazed that they were giving him that opportunity.

"Under supervision," Frank stressed. "So you don't hurt anyone or yourself."

"Can I go take a walk right now?" Mort asked, turning eager eyes towards the orderly.

Frank raised an eyebrow, but nodded his approval. As Mort stood up and walked out of the room, the tall and imposing orderly followed close behind to keep his eye on him. It didn't bother him, though…as long as he was able to watch her without drawing attention from anyone, it was enough for him. The more he thought about it, though, the more he realized that he'd have to do something later to catch her attention when no one else was looking. Oh, well, he'd figure out the details later.

Feeling unusually perky, Mort led the way to the Sun Room so that he'd have an excellent view of the receptionist desk.

_

* * *

  
That Afternoon, Kayla's POV: _

From the moment that Mort Rainey had sat down by the lobby windows, a weird feeling of being watched had settled in her mind. But every time she looked over her shoulder, he was looking out the window or scribbling something on a piece of paper in front of him. Okay, he was an author and was supposed to be just a little bit mentally off, but it had been happening all morning and since she came back from lunch. By now, Kayla was beginning to think that she was feeling a bit paranoid.

Leaning back in her chair, she rubbed her tired eyes and saw letters and numbers fly by under her closed eyelids. It's never really a good thing to see letters when you close your eyes, and that usually means one thing to a person who'd been looking at them all day long.

'_I think I need a break_,' she thought, closing a folder and putting it on the desk.

Reaching down, she pulled the little refrigerator open and took out a Dr. Pepper to go with her bag of Doritos. Hearing a small bit of commotion, she looked up and spotted Frank trying to calm down a patient, even though he was supposed to keep an eye on Mr. Rainey. Looking towards the author, she saw that he hadn't moved. Shrugging, she turned around and opened her chips.

Her first chip was an inch from her mouth when she spotted something lying by the sliding window at the front of the desk. Setting down her chips, Kayla scooted her roller-chair over and peeked around, trying to see if any of the patients were trying to pull something on her, but no one was there. Frank had managed to escort the noisy patient out of the area, and Mr. Rainey hadn't moved an inch from his spot, so it couldn't have been him.

Shrugging again, Kayla took a closer look at the object. It was a red rose from the gardens outside the hospital. There were rose vines and bushes scattered all around the grounds, but there was only one place where this color of rose grew, and that was right outside the windows of the lobby. Right by where Mr. Rainey was sitting. Now thoroughly creeped out, Kayla looked towards the author. He was looking out the window, but a second after her eyes landed on him, he turned his gaze towards her. Swallowing hard, she turned away, her eyes landing on the rose. It was such a beautiful and fragile-looking thing.

'_It would be a shame for it to simply lie where a patient could get it_,' she thought, gazing at the perfect petals. She so loved flowers, but roses were her favorite, and she couldn't let a person destroy such a lovely thing.

The problem was that she'd have to open the window in order to reach it. Did she really want to risk it? What if there was a patient out there hiding under the window, just out of sight? What if they tried to hurt her? Could there be more than one patient behind this little prank, and if so, should she call security for help?

'_Okay, now you are being paranoid_,' Kayla scolded herself. '_Just open the damn window and get it_.'

Nodding to herself, she reached over and slid the window open. Her fingers had just brushed the stem when a firm hand grabbed her wrist. Letting out a small yelp of surprise, she tried to pull her hand back in, but the stranger would not let go. Glancing up, she saw the brown gaze of Alex gazing back at her.

"Uh," she said, speechless at the surprising turn of the situation.

"You really shouldn't reach outside the plastic unless you're sure it's safe," Alex whispered to her, winking. "Especially when strange gifts are left for you unexpectedly."

Kayla blushed. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Guess it was kind of stupid of me."

Alex gave her hand a small squeeze. "Just try not to do it again," he whispered back, giving her a flirtatious smile as he let her hand go. "By the way, the flower's from me."

Without another word, he turned and walked down the hallway, leaving a shocked Kayla staring after him, the red rose lying forgotten in her palm.

_

* * *

  
That Evening, Mort's POV: _

Sitting in his room, Mort stared at the ceiling, silently fuming. That afternoon, as he watched his beautiful angel work behind a wall of plastic, not noticing him as he drew portraits of her on paper given to him by the nurses. It had been awkward having Frank close by as he drew, watching him over his shoulder, but Mort refused to let that bother him…he had more important things to do, like commit every detail about her to memory.

Once he had completed his drawing to his satisfaction, Mort began to write out every single detail that he could fathom from around him. From the sign on the front desk, he knew her name was Kayla (such a beautiful name for such a beautiful woman), and she liked to eat her fries after finishing her hamburger (he'd overheard her tell Nurse Holly that today). She also liked Doritos, which means she had good taste in junk food, in his mind. She also had a sweet smile that made him feel happy…

Then, it happened. That afternoon, after the three o'clock medication, someone had tried to take his angel away from him! Mort had barely managed to keep himself from attacking the orderly who had tried to take his Kayla away from him. He had seen the whole thing from across the room: the orderly leaving the beautiful red rose on the desk so she could find it, the small chat they'd had, and the fact that she had allowed him to hold her hand. It had made Mort's blood start to boil.

'_I won't let him have her_,' he vowed to himself. '_No one can have her except me_!'

Still, the orderly (who's name was Alex, if he recalled) was a very handsome young man, and while Mort considered himself fairly good-looking, he was far from young. Judging from the look of his angel, she was probably in her late teens or early twenties…twenty-one at the most. She was barely a legal adult!

'_She still belongs to me_,' he thought, his blood flowing hot through his veins. '_We've been connected for months, and she's only just met Alex. I'm going to have to show her how strong our bond is_."

Smiling as a plan formed in his head, Mort let his mind drift until he fell into a peaceful, dreamless slumber.

_

* * *

  
__That Same Evening: Kayla's POV:_

Spiting the last bit of toothpaste from her mouth, Kayla quickly rinsed, flossed, and rinsed again, her mind twirling in confusion over the events of the day. Alex has been unusually attentive the rest of the day, and she wondered what a guy like him could see in a girl like her. Sure, red hair and brown eyes were a nice, if not quaint, combination, but she knew she was far from a beauty queen. So what would a drop-dead gorgeous guy like Alex see in her?

'_I swear if I ask him and he tells me it's because I'm a sweet girl, I'll slap him_,' she thought, rolling her eyes.

Throughout her entire life Kayla had been told she was a sweet and understanding girl, and every time someone told her that, she got more and more pissed off. Mostly she figured that people only said that because those were the only good qualities that she had. After all, she wasn't exactly beautiful (maybe pretty, but that was it), she wasn't brilliantly smart, and she didn't have any unique talents except writing. In other words, what would a guy see in her except that she was nice to people, and had a good sense of humor that sometimes made people feel comfortable around her?

"Not a whole lot," she muttered as she headed to her comfy bed and slipped under the navy-blue sheets to stare at the ceiling. "God I hate being a boring person!"

Still, she'd better get to the bottom of this Alex-likes-me-but-I-don't-know-why thing, ASAP. Kayla had been asked out before, and had thought that the guy might actually be interested in her. He had asked her to the Homecoming Dance, she'd said yes, and after that one night, he was gone…right into the arms of a good friend of hers. It had been a very depressing time for Kayla, but in the end she'd felt happy for the two…they really had belonged together and were now married with kids. After all, you can't fight Fate, now, can you?

'_I just wish I'd been asked out on a date more than once in my entire life_.'

Sighing, Kayla let her eyes drift shut and peaceful dreams fill her mind.

* * *

_Dream Sequence: Mort's POV_: 

A fine mist filled the air as Mort found himself walking down the hallway, his eyes searching for any other person to ask them why the hospital was so empty and so quiet…and so dark. He was alone, and for once in his life since his divorce, he didn't like it. When would he be able to finally find the one who would be there for him?

'_Soon, Mort…it will happen soon_…' whispered a soft feminine voice.

He whirled around. "But I want her now!" he cried.

Silence.

"I need her now," he whispered. "I need her…"

* * *

Back in his room, a faint whisper filled the isolation chamber in which he lay dreaming. 

"I need her…"

* * *

AN: Aw, a sad ending to this chapter…it just makes you want to hug poor Mort and comfort him, doesn't it? Don't worry, Mort and Kayla will talk to each other soon…just give me some time, and it'll happen, I promise. Now be good readers and review to make me write faster! (wink, wink) 


	6. Unusual Encounters and Emotions

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort or his sexy body…though I wish I did!

AN: Sorry for the late update, but I've been miserably sick and it hasn't been pretty. Anyway, here it is, the moment people have been waiting for…the moment that Mort and Kayla finally talk to each other! (Gasp) Yes, that's right! Keep reading to find out what happens! Enjoy!

**Chapter 6: Unusual Encounters and Emotions**:

_Third Week of Work: Kayla's POV_:

Work was boring as hell, but what could a person do about it? Well, except find a way to keep themselves amused, that is. Either way, Kayla was bored out of her mind. Even though she constantly had papers to file or organize, she usually managed to finish those by early afternoon. Finishing early meant having at least two free hours to find something to do, so in the end, she began to bring her textbooks to work so she could keep up-to-speed with her education.

Throughout the day, Holly came by occasionally to chat, and the two women would talk about everything from Hollywood gossip to what was going with the staff members. The topic of Alex trying to "woo" Kayla was something that cracked Holly up constantly, but Kayla flat-out refused to date the guy; she'd seen him flirting with the single females of the staff (as well as female visitors that weren't wearing engagement or wedding rings), so she declined every date invitation he offered her. The other topic of conversation was the infamous Mort Rainey.

Sighing, Kayla put down her book and glanced over at the window where Mr. Rainey was currently amusing himself with his usual paper and pencil. Every day he sat there and scribbled out who-knows-what, and every day Kayla felt that he was watching her, waiting for an opportunity to walk up to her and…well, who knew what the man would do, but she didn't think for one minute that it'd be good. No, being at the mercy of an insane author couldn't be a good thing.

'_Well, it could be_,' whispered a saucy, teasing voice in her mind. '_Who knows, it could be fun_.'

Shivering at the thought, Kayla squashed the voice. Insane people tended to be, well, unpredictable and possibly even violent. No, there was no way she wanted to end up in Mort Rainey's hands. And yet, somehow, Kayla couldn't help but feel that a face-to-face meeting with him was unavoidable. She'd just have to keep her eyes open and pray that he never managed to get anywhere near her anytime soon.

* * *

_That Day, Mort's POV_:

It was three weeks since she'd physically first come into his life, and Mort _still_ hadn't had a chance to talk to her. He would say that it was driving him mad, but that would be a bad joke, considering where he was currently at. Still, if he weren't "crazy," the situation would most certainly be driving him out of his mind. It didn't help that Frank or one of the other orderlies were constantly watching him, steering him clear of the reception area whenever he tried to make a move for her.

Growling, he turned his frustrated mind back to finishing the drawing that he was presently perfecting. This was the second on this week, and he had several of them already. The staff members had decided to let him keep his work from now on, and Mort had begun plastering his portraits of Kayla on the back of his door so that the staff couldn't see them when they peeked inside his room. It was funny that the nurses though that he was just writing and not drawing (which was a secret talent of his), and it was a good secret to keep. Still, a portrait was a poor comparison to the real thing…

Sighing, Mort picked up a new sheet of paper and began writing, hiding his portrait from Frank as the orderly came to check up on him.

* * *

_A Week Later, Kayla's POV_:

"I hate Mondays."

A growl of annoyance followed the statement, which in turn was followed by a stream of curses as Kayla raced for the front door of the hospital. The fact that it was pouring rain and she was running late really wasn't helping her morning, either. After pulling the hood of her jacket off and shaking the rain off of her, Kayla took a look around the entryway and noticed several nurses crowded by the front desk. Confused as to why they were meeting there instead the staff room, she walked over and tapped one on the shoulder.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked, hoping she wasn't interrupting something she wasn't supposed to.

The nurse turned around and Kayla saw it was Holly, a very worried Holly. Her blue eyes were panicked and confused, and her hair was frizzy from either the wet weather or because she was frazzled from whatever was bothering her.

"Oh, Kayla, thank goodness," she said. "We've got a small problem and we need your help."

"Okay," Kayla replied slowly, inwardly flinching.

The last time they'd needed her help was when one of the medication guys was late and she'd had to help give pills to the patients. Fortunately, she'd only been needed for ten minutes, and had made it out of there before Mort Rainey had made his way to the window for his turn. She was _not_ looking forward to hearing what they expected of her this time!

"Jacob is gone today, called in about three minutes ago, thank you very much," growled Sally, one of the other nurses. "So we need you to slip the food to some of the patients through the feeding windows in their doors."

"You want me to _feed the patients_?" Kayla squeaked.

Holly put a hand on her shoulder. "We don't have a choice," she softly replied. "Frank is caught in traffic, and with the roads so bad, we're short several staff members. Furthermore, with such bad weather and the trouble it takes to get up here, there won't be any visitors to deal with. We really need you, Kayla." She leaned in. "You'll also have to feed Mr. Rainey, but with a solid door between you, there's no chance he'll be able to lay a hand on you. Okay?"

Sighing, Kayla nodded. "Okay, so what do I have to do?"

* * *

_Twenty minutes later: Kayla's POV_:

Handing out food to patients wasn't that bad, except for the fact that they gave her weird looks as soon as she passed in front of their doors. It was a pretty basic job: slide the little window open, set the tray of food on it and wait for it to be taken inside by the patient. Oh, well, at least she was getting a bonus by doing this…

'_Not a big enough one, though_,' Kayla thought to herself. Nothing could make up for the freaky looks she kept trying to avoid, nor the strange mutterings that stole through the small windows when she opened them to deliver the food tray.

At the last door, she slipped the little door open and slid the tray on top of it. She was just taking her hand away when something grabbed her wrist. Squeaking in surprise, she looked up and saw tousled brown-blond hair and dark brown eyes peering at her through the window in the door. Frozen with shock and surprise, Kayla stood motionless as a range of emotions filled the eyes of Mort Rainey. For a moment, as her gaze locked with his, she saw sadness, confusion, desperation, and heartache, all of which made her heart flutter in her chest and filled her with pity at the same time.

'_He looks so sad and lonely_,' she thought, watching him watching her with heart-wrenching need.

'_But he also looks like he wants to drag you into his room and, well, do some pretty bad things to you_,' murmured another voice in her mind.

But the pity in her mind could not be driven away by the voice. All four emotions touched something deep inside her, made her want to help him more than anything in the world, and in an attempt to comfort him, she smiled.

The transformation in his face was remarkable. His eyes seemed to light up and a tiny smile quirked the corners of his lips. The hand on her wrist loosened its grasp, slowly becoming a soft hold instead of a desperate grip. Upon feeling his hand loosen, Kayla made to pull her hand back, but he refused to let go, tightening his fingers once more.

"Please don't go," he whispered to her, deep-brown eyes pleading for her to stay.

Kayla hesitated. She really did feel sorry for the man, but if Mort Rainey was hostile or something dangerous, she'd better not stick around. Her heartstrings were pulling at her to stay, but her common sense told her that she was only going to put herself in danger. Still, Kayla knew that she wasn't the type to leave someone in a horribly lonely situation…after all, she, too, was a lonely person, but the people in here needed more affection and attention than she did. Deciding to follow her heart just this once, she decided to give him another smile.

"I'm afraid I have to go, Mr. Rainey," she said, smiling tenderly at him. "I have things to do elsewhere." His eyes became sad and empty. "But I'm sure we'll see each other soon."

"Do you promise?" he whispered, almost as though he didn't fully believe her. She nodded. He smiled again, reluctantly releasing her hand.

"Good day, Mr. Rainey," Kayla said, pushing the cart down the hallway.

"Call me Mort," he called through the window.

As she turned the corner, she swore she could still feel his eyes, as though they were following her.

* * *

_That Afternoon, Mort's POV_:

'_In my dreams she'd said we'd see each other soon_,' he thought, happily scribbling down the events of the day onto a piece of paper. '_And she'd been right_!'

It had taken well over a month, but he'd actually gotten a chance to touch her, speak to her…and the moment had been far too short for his liking. Her wrist was small and delicate, fitting perfectly into his hand, and her skin had been so soft that he never wanted to let her go. And after she'd smiled at him…he could have melted on the spot from the tenderness she was showing him.

And now she'd actually said she would see him again soon! It might even be later today!

He nearly started bouncing in his chair from the joy he felt. At least she wasn't avoiding him and hadn't run away screaming in fear…he couldn't have borne that if that had happened. The mere fact that she had simply stayed long enough to give him his breakfast and give him a smile told him that, although she might not care deeply about him, she wasn't entirely frightened out of her wits by him.

"Which is a good thing," Mort muttered, scribbling more words down on the page.

"What's a good thing, Mr. Rainey?" asked a deep voice from the doorway.

Mort looked up and saw Frank standing there with his lunch in his hands. Should he tell him that he'd talked to Kayla? No, they'd make sure that he'd never see her again, and he couldn't risk that!

"Uh...," he trailed off. "It's a good thing that it stopped raining," he said, glancing out the window. True enough, the rain had stopped and a beam of sunshine was falling through the still-dark clouds and onto the trees behind the hospital.

"Yeah, looks good," Frank said, setting the tray on the table. "How's the writing coming along?"

"Good," Mort said, setting his work aside and heading for his lunch. "Do I get to go outside today?"

"Sure, if you want. There'll be several staff members out there if you want to walk around out there." Frank hesitated a moment. "I won't be able to keep an eye on you today, so you're free to wonder around the grounds. Just be careful." He turned and walked away.

"Thanks," Mort called after him, taking note of the three words of advice he'd been given.

When someone tells you to be careful in a mental institution, it usually means that you shouldn't try any 'funny business' with the staff. So he'd just have to be careful on how he approached Kayla today, that's all. As long as he didn't try to be too forward with her or scared her in any way, everything would be fine. He'd just have to be cautious in his moves towards her. Patience was going to be very important, but he could wait. The problem was Mort didn't know how long he could wait before he managed to stake his claim on the woman of his dreams. He just had to do it before anyone else did.

* * *

_That afternoon, Kayla's POV_:

When she'd said that she'd see Mr. Rainey 'soon,' she was actually hoping that it wouldn't be _this_ soon. It had only been a few hours (it was now one o'clock in the afternoon), and he was already by the window in the Sun Room, watching her. He hadn't approached her yet, but he looked like he was going to any minute now, and Kayla was extremely glad that there were a few orderlies close by. Still, she doubted that they would be able to stop a determined Mort Rainey. Sighing, she turned her attention back towards the files she needed to organize for that afternoon's staff meeting. She was about halfway through her task when she felt someone watching her through the plastic. Thinking it was one of the patients, Kayla ignored the feeling and focused her attention on her task.

"Hello," a soft male voice came through the sliding window that she'd accidentally left open.

Her eyes snapped up and met soft brown ones framed by messy blond hair. He looked much different from the man she'd seen being dragged kicking and screaming down the hallway. Then again, he no longer seemed the lonely and sad man she'd seen that morning through the little feeding window. In fact, he looked eerily chipper, a bit of a spark showing in the depths of his dark-brown eyes. It sort of creeped her out, but Kayla refused to let it show. Instead, she'd try and be nice to the poor man and hope that he'd go away under his own power.

"Hello, Mr. Rainey," she said, giving him a small smile. Trying to be polite would keep him calm and hopefully wouldn't give him hostile (or any other) ideas.

Glancing subtly around, she noticed that the two orderlies left in the room were closely watching the situation, but weren't interfering. Instead, they seemed to want to see how she could handle the mentally ill man before they took action. Inwardly signing, Kayla sat there and simply tried to look friendly and at ease with him, silently praying that he wouldn't try any sudden moves on her through the window.

He smiled at her. "Please, call me Mort," he said, leaning on the counter outside the little sliding window, his head close to the opening, as though he were trying to make himself clearly heard.

'_Okay first name basis with a mentally ill patient is not a good thing_,' she thought, but forced herself to smile at him anyway. "Okay, Mort," she said, playing along with it and hoping that she wasn't encouraging his illusionary attraction towards her.

As a quiet moment settled between them, Kayla tried her best to think of a way out of the situation. She didn't want to call the orderlies since he wasn't being violent towards her, and he was only standing there watching her without any sort of hostility showing, so he seemed safe enough. Well, she couldn't stand there and try to make conversation with him all day; after all, she had a job to do, and she didn't want to be talking to this man any longer than she had to.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Mr. Rainey - I mean, Mort," Kayla said, correcting herself on his form of address. "But I really have to get back to work." Inwardly, she hoped that he'd take the hint and leave.

"Oh, okay," he replied, smiling at her. "Maybe we can talk again later, during one of your breaks?"

A hopeful gleam flickered in his eyes, and he looked so eager and desperate for companionship that Kayla didn't have the heart to say no.

"Maybe," she said, smiling at him. "Have a good afternoon." Being polite never hurt, and it was her job to be nice to people.

"You, too," Mort whispered to her through the window. "I'll see you soon, Kayla." He gave her a warm smile and walked away.

Kayla turned back towards her work, shaken that he knew her name even though she was sure that she'd never given it to him.

* * *

_Twenty Minutes Later: Mort's POV_:

He knew it was time for her break when she began pulling food out the drawers and the refrigerator. A bag of Doritos caught his attention, and, seemingly drawn towards the snack item and its possessor, Mort slowly approached the sliding window so as not to scare her. He knew that his earlier appearance at the desk had unsettled her, and he wanted to make sure that he didn't do that again…he couldn't bear the thought of him frightening her, possibly to the point of her fleeing from him forever. He'd have to be careful approaching her from now on.

Walking up to the window, he gently tapped on the plastic. Her beautiful red hair - pulled into a tail at the nape of her neck - tossed as her head jerked towards the sound and her eyes sought out the cause of the noise. Her eyes lock with his, and Mort could swear that his heart had stopped in his chest. A timid smile quirked the corners of her lips, but it was a smile, nonetheless, and he was grateful for it. He would sooner jump out a window than frighten her.

Gathering up some courage, he pointed towards the sliding window and pleaded with his eyes for her to open it. Mort could have sworn that she didn't want to, but the fact that she actually did what he asked absolutely thrilled him. As soon as the window slid open, he placed a small gift on the counter and slid it inside. He saw her eyes widen in surprise.

It was a rose. Not a red rose (they were too cliché, in his opinion), but a perfect, lovely white rose with gold and pink gently coloring the edges of the soft petals. This particular rose grew in the furthest corner of the hospital grounds on one single bush, and Mort had thought it appropriate that she get the first flower of the season.

'_After all, she's one of the rarest beauties around_,' he thought, watching her look at the flower as though she'd never seen it's kind before; it was possible she hadn't.

Mort watched as she carefully smelled the flower and inspect each and every petal, almost as though she were searching for an answer to some sort of question. When her eyes looked up and met his, they held some sort of confusion and just the smallest hint of fear. He quickly gave her a friendly smile to cover his eagerness, hoping that if he appeared to be approaching her as a friend and not a potential lover, she would relax more in his presence.

It apparently worked, for her body instantly relaxed and a tiny smile appeared on her face. She then reached over and placed the flower on the table before getting out a bottle of water and opening it. A quick motion of her hand, and the rose had found a new home in its makeshift vase, which was then placed up by the front of the desk. Mort felt warmth flood his veins and encompass his heart, hope seeming to shine within every aspect of his body.

"Thank you," Kayla whispered to him.

"You're welcome," he softly replied, wanting desperately to hold her hand but knowing that it was not yet time to do so.

She then reached for her bag of Doritos and opened it before offering it to him. "Would you like one?" she asked softly.

Mort smiled. "Thanks," he said, taking one and putting it in his mouth.

It was the best thing he'd ever eaten in his life.

* * *

AN: Aw, Mort's getting all romantic and sappy! Isn't that cute? Review and I promise I'll put more sap in later chapters (hint, hint)! See you next chapter! 


	7. Feelings and Touching

Disclaimer: If I owned Mort, I'd be living with him in his cabin and doing very naughty things with (and to) him…but since I don't, I'm stuck here writing stories about him (_sighs_).

AN: Okay, before we get started, please forgive the late update. I've been horribly sick (like _can't get out of bed _sick) and the site wouldn't let me post, so I'm sorry for the lateness. Also, don't get the wrong idea by the chapter's title. If I could rate it, it'd be PG-13; Mort just gets to touch her in this chapter…that's all, okay? Now sit back and enjoy another chapter with our handsome Mort Rainey!

**Chapter 7: Feelings and Touching**:

_That Night, Kayla's POV_:

Staring at the two roses in front of her on the table, Kayla felt as though her brain would burst from all of the thoughts flying through her head. The red rose from Alex, though dry and crumbly, was still in her possession and currently lying next to the fresh white rose given to her by Mort Rainey that morning. She couldn't seem to wrap her mind around the fact that two men wanted her attention; it was such an unbelievable thing to her. Okay, now she had to think this stuff through in a calm and logical manner before her head exploded.

First off: Alex. He was a sweet guy, very gentlemanly, and not to mention very good looking. He was also strong and had a good job. Any girl in her right mind would be flattered and want to go out with him. So why didn't Kayla want to?

'_Probably because he flirts with a ton of other girls and tries to charm them over_,' she thought.

True, Alex was only doing what single guys do (i.e.: flirt with pretty girls), but he was very much a "ladies man." Holly had told her that Alex tended to go through girlfriends like a wildfire through a dry forest. It was definitely _not_ what Kayla (or, very likely, _any_ girl) wanted to hear about a guy who might be interested in her. Also, Kayla knew that she was not the type of girl who wanted to 'change' the guy she was interested in. She wanted to be with a guy because of who he genuinely was and not what she could change him into. From stories she'd been told by her numerous friends in high school, she knew that changing a person could happen, it just wasn't very likely _to_ actually happen.

Sighing, Kayla took a sip of her hot chocolate and stared at the flowers again, this time focusing on the white flower and its beautifully colored petal tips.

Mort Rainey was another puzzle all together. Not only was he a mental patient, but some members of the staff believed him to be a murderer! From what she had seen, he didn't seem like the type to kill anyone, but you really couldn't tell a book by its cover…or an author from his present actions. Mr. Rainey _seemed_ like such a sweet man, and he'd tried so hard to be nice to her, but she didn't really know anything about him, so how could he expect her to fall in love with him?

'_The same thing could be said about Alex, and he's not in a mental institution for having split personalities or schizophrenia_!' exclaimed her common sense.

Okay, so she didn't know either man very well. Other than the fact that both had been sweet to her and given her nice roses as tokens of their affection, there was basically nothing in their background or personalities that Kayla knew about. She could try and get to know them, but Alex seemed like the type of guy who thinks that an evening of conversation meant going back to his apartment and sleeping together…and the last thing Kayla wanted was a one night stand.

On the other hand, Mort Rainey was mentally ill and might not be capable of holding a conversation without something happening…after all, according to his nurses, he was violent and had tried to kill himself. But he'd also been nice to her, and had never approached her while she was outside the plastic shielding of the desk. Mr. Rainey had also appeared friendly sweet; Alex was flirty and suave. Still, Mr. Rainey thought that she was the woman from some hallucinations, so he pretty much had that against him.

'_And I really didn't do myself any favors by accepting the rose in the first place_,' Kayla thought, mentally slapping herself.

Then why did she do it? Why did she accept a gift from a man who, if he were in the free world, would probably be stalking her or another woman who looked just like her? Was it pity? Well, she _was_ a person who frequently felt sorry for people and tried to make them feel better. Being the softhearted person that she was, Kayla just couldn't imagine herself _not_ accepting a flower from someone who looked like he needed a friend. But Mort Rainey didn't want to be friends…he wanted to be something much more intimate than that.

"Arg, my head hurts from all this thinking," she growled, burying her face in her hands. "Why do these things have to be so damn complicated?"

Sighing, Kayla picked up Mort's rose and placed it back in its small vase before heading off to bed.

* * *

_  
That Same Evening, Mort's POV_: 

Sleep was definitely not coming to him that night. Every time he closed his eyes, Mort could see the gentle smile on Kayla's face as she smelled the rose he'd given her. It made him feel good knowing that he had made her smile…it gave him a sense of purpose, a reason to get better so that he could get out of here and get back to the outside world. Once he was out, he'd write until he fingers could no longer type just to make enough money to win her over…then, once she was his…

"I'll marry her," he whispered to the ceiling. "I'll marry her if it's the last thing I do."

Smiling into the darkness, Mort felt his eyes drift shut and pleasant dreams follow for the first time in a month.

* * *

_The Next Afternoon: Kayla's POV_:

Sitting in a chair by the front windows, Kayla took a deep breath and sighed, thankful that the patients were all in activity rooms for the afternoon for some exercise or artistic lessons. This gave her a chance to relax, and she instantly began rubbing her eyes to try and drive away the pain in her head. She hated when she got these headaches, especially ones that shot up through her head and into her eyes. In the past, they had always been soothed away by her father massaging her neck or popping her back into place. However, her father was several thousand miles away and could no longer help her with the tension building in her stressed out body.

Sighing, she began to softly rub her tired and over-used muscles with her fingertips to try and get the blood flowing. She was scared out of her wits when strange fingers began a soothing motion along her neck and shoulders. Whirling around, she saw Mort Rainey standing behind her, his hands frozen in midair and a puzzled, but kind, expression on his face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said, his voice eerily soothing and soft. "I just thought you looked stressed, so I wanted to help you out."

Kayla was a bit taken back by his words, her mouth hanging open. His hands on her shoulder and around her neck were _not_ something she wanted to happen, especially from a mentally ill man obsessed with her! She tried to think of something to say, something that was polite but firm in getting him away from her in this vulnerable position, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was anything but polite.

"How did you get out of your class today?" she blurted out before she could think.

Mort looked somewhat hurt and confused, but he answered. "I sort of snuck away when they weren't looking," he said nonchalantly. "I wanted to see if you were okay; you seemed like you were in pain."

"I'm fine," Kayla said, giving him a small smile even though her neck felt like a million needles were stabbing her all along her neck and into her head. "Really, I'm fine."

"No, you're not," he said, reaching out and twirling her around to face forward, his hands resting firmly on her shoulders. "I could tell you've been in pain since lunch."

"Oh, no, Mort, really, I'm fine," she said, trying to stand up, but his hands refused to let her go, and it was beginning to scare her. That was when his last sentence truly hit her. '_How the hell would he know if I've been in pain since lunchtime_!' Now she was _really_ getting scared.

A gentle touch from Mort on her neck somehow managed to calm the emotional turmoil inside her.

"Let me take care of you, Kayla," Mort whispered, his hands never stopping their task on her neck. "Please." Slowly, his hands began massaging her neck and shoulders, his hands soft and gentle.

She tried to protest, but the motions of his hands were soothing the pain right out of her, so she closed her eyes and let him continue his work. It was still frightening that she was letting him do this, but it felt extremely relaxing to have him giving her a massage like this. Letting her mind drift into bliss, Kayla realized that, for a writer, he had pretty good skills and hands for this sort of thing…and for some reason (in an odd sort of way), this gesture of thoughtfulness touched her heart.

Sighing again, Kayla felt the tension drain out of her, the skillful hands of the writer behind her smoothing away every bit of pain she currently felt in her head and body. It made her wish that she could stay this way all day, set adrift in a cloud of bliss. She let out a grunt of pain, then another sigh of happiness as a particularly tight knot in her neck was loosened up, the blood once again beginning to flow correctly throughout her body.

'_This man has some truly amazing hands to be able to loosen up my muscles like that_," she thought, her mind drifting through the cloud of bliss Mort was weaving. '_He should be a professional massage therapist of something, not an author_…_or he could be both_…_either way, this guy has some sort of talent_.'

"Does that feel better?" Mort's soft voice muttered into her ear, his hot breath caressing her skin.

"Mm, hmm," was all she could get out.

"Good," he whispered, his hands now moving to her shoulders; Kayla automatically leaned back, her upper body coming in contact with Mort's.

"Kayla!" snapped a nearby voice.

Both of them turned around to find Alex standing ten feet away, an outraged look on his face. He marched over and pulled Mort away, his hands then going to pull Kayla up from the chair and behind him, seeming to protect her from whatever stunt Mort might 'pull' on her.

"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Rainey?" Alex snapped, his hands clenching into fists. "Get back to whatever room you are supposed to be in, now!"

"Alex, stop," Kayla said from behind him, grasping his arms with her hands. "He didn't do anything, just leave him alone."

The tall orderly whirled around to look at her in surprise and outrage. "Didn't do anything? He had his hands all over you!" he growled.

"He didn't 'have his hands all over me,' Alex," she snapped, letting his arms go so she could put her hands on her hips. "I was having neck pains and the start of a migraine, and he helped me. That's it, so let him go."

Alex looked like he was going to protest, but Kayla continued to glare at him until he shrugged and (reluctantly) relaxed. Turning back towards Mort, Kayla saw him give him a challenging glare as his fists unclenched themselves and his shoulders went semi-slack. Even though Alex still looked like he wanted to beat the tar out of Mort, he managed to appear alert, but not fully hostile.

"If that's the way you want it, Kayla," he said, looking down at her with brown eyes. He leaned closer to whisper into her ear. "But if you need me for anything, let me know, and I'll be there."

With that said, Alex took one last hostile glare at Mort and slowly walked away, leaving Kayla to deal with the rest of the situation.

* * *

_Mort's POV_:

Receiving Kayla's trust for something like massaging her body was absolutely wonderful. However actually _feeling_ Kayla's body under his palms and leaning back against him was (in Mort's opinion) the beginning of a beautiful connection between the two of them. He felt her relax under his touch, completely trusting him to help her with her situation, her soft skin gently filling the space under his hands. He could see her reflection in the glass window and could tell that he was giving her immense pleasure by doing this…if only he could be allowed to give her pleasure in another way…

His perfect moment with Kayla had been shattered when that oaf of an orderly had stepped in, breaking them apart from one another. Mort saw the man put himself between Mort and his angelic Kayla, and could feel anger swell up inside him. No, he couldn't let his anger control him like it had before, when it had formed into Shooter. He had to keep his cool, no matter what. After all, from the view of an onlooker, it might have appeared that Mort was strangling Kayla, though the expression on her face would have told of bliss and not fear or death.

As the two men faced each other, Alex had looked Mort right in the eye and had openly challenged him to take Kayla from him. Mort so wanted to answer the other man's challenge, but Kayla had interfered before he could do so. He could feel his heart swell with love when she defended him and told Alex to leave him alone, and could sense Alex's anger at being told to leave by the beautiful woman they both wanted. He could feel a smug grin coming on, but wouldn't let it show, though…Mort knew better than to anger an orderly. After all, they _were_ staff members…

"I'm sorry about that, Mort."

His attention snapped back to the present situation, and saw Kayla smiling a bit at him. Mort instantly smiled back. "That's okay, I understand where he's coming from," he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. This was by far the longest conversation they'd had together.

Kayla sighed. "Well, I'd better get back to work," she said, looking back towards the front desk.

"Are you okay?" For some reason, Mort blushed as he said that. "I mean, is your neck still bothering you?"

She blinked at him. "Actually, it feels better," she said, looking both surprised and pleased. "I guess I owe you a 'thank you'."

Then she smiled at him, a real genuine smile, and his knees went weak. Mort felt like the sun had suddenly found a home in his chest, and his body felt hot…too hot…no, it felt good…so good…

"Uh, it was no problem," he said, smiling back at her.

"Well I really should get back to work," she said again, looking at her hands. "I'll see you again later, Mort."

She then turned and left a happy Mort Rainey to find his way back towards his room, hoping to record the day's events accurately on paper.

* * *

_That Night, Kayla's POV_:

"I can't believe I trusted him enough to rub my back," she grumbled into her pillow.

Pulling the soft object off of her face, Kayla stared up at the ceiling, torn between being angry at herself and in shock at the situation that'd happened that day. She'd actually let Mort Rainey, the man who was obsessed with an hallucination that was (supposedly) about her, touch her body. Would that action encourage him? Would he now become more focused on her and try to pursue her even more after what had happened today?

"Oh, my God, what have I done?" she groaned, covering her face with her hands.

Had she just led on a mentally disturbed patient? What would happen if he tried to ask her out, or worse, got better and decided that he wanted to date her? What would happen if she turned him down in every situation imaginable? Would he try and hurt her? Would he (dare she think it) _kill_ her?

"Okay, no crazy ideas about axe murderers before bed," she scolded herself as she closed her eyes. "We'll deal with Mr. Rainey and his actions when they happen." She took a deep breath. "Just don't worry about it."

Kayla fell asleep, dreaming of familiar male hands softly stroking her neck and body.

* * *

_Same Night, Mort's POV_:

'_I actually had her under my hands_,' he thought, a huge smile plastered on his face.

It had been the best feeling in the world, Kayla's skin against his. It was so soft, so smooth that he wanted to run his hands over it again just to be sure he hadn't imagined the feel of it in his mind. He wanted to hold her bare body against his and…

He mentally slapped himself. It was too soon for that sort of thing. She'd never let him touch her like he wanted to touch her…not this soon, anyway. Mort so badly wanted to feel her body pressed against him in his bed, to wake up and see her lovely face in the morning sunshine, her red hair sparkling in the light falling through the windows. Oh, what he wouldn't give for that!

'_It's too soon, though_,' he thought, rubbing his face with his hands. '_Much too soon for that. I have to win her over, first…or get better first…either way, I have to get better and get out of here, either before I win her or after. I must find a way to get out of here, or I'll never be with Kayla_!'

Determination flowed through him. He knew that in order to appear 'normal' to his Kayla, he had to take those damn psychiatric sessions with Dr. Vincent. Then, after either months or (Heaven forbid) _years_, he'd finally be able to make Kayla see him as a good man who loved her and wanted to take care of her for the rest of his life.

'_Although_,' he thought, chewing on his lip as he interrupted his own thought process. '_Although, I might want to try and win her over either before or during my mental health sessions._'

That was true enough. Mort knew that if he didn't work quickly, that bastard Alex might try and take Kayla away from him, right from under his very nose! No, he had to work fast and win her over before Alex could make a move on her. If Alex were to try and win Kayla (or even worse, _succeed_ in doing so), Mort would definitely have to resort to some drastic measures.

'_I'll never let another man lay a finger on Kayla_,' he thought possessively, angrily clutching the sheets in his fists.

There was no way he was going to lose the woman of his dreams to a womanizing man like Alex. Oh, yes, he knew the man's reputation with woman…even seen it on numerous occasions when he and a nurse or a visitor to the hospital would leave together or sit and flirt with each other. Yes, Mort Rainey knew what a man like Alex could offer a woman like Kayla, and it wasn't much besides a dinner and a single night together.

'_But what if he actually cares about her_?' whispered a small voice in the back of his head.

Mort shook his head. Even if Alex cared about Kayla, there was no way he'd let the other man have her. Not a chance in the world would he ever allow that to happen. Kayla was his, she belonged with him, they belonged together, and that was that. There was no doubt about it in Mort's mind and heart; his fate was bound to Kayla's and he'd do anything to bring the two of them together.

'_Try not to get too possessive and obsessive, Mort_,' he thought to himself. '_That would frighten the hell out of her, then where will you be_?' True enough. Still, she was his, and he was going to get her, no matter what.

Sighing tiredly, Mort relaxed and allowed himself to drift off to sleep, dreaming of soft smooth skin underneath his hands.

* * *

AN: Whoa, Alex is starting to get a bit possessive, isn't he? Then again, so is Mort. Well, Mort did have his hands on Kayla, but if I were her, I wouldn't mind! But, anyway, what did everyone think of the chapter? Review and let me know! Please? 


	8. Frightening Thoughts, Concerned Feelings

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort or his sexy body…though I wish I did!

AN: Another day, another update for my wonderful readers and reviewers (who are sometimes one-and-the-same)! I hope that you like this chapter, since, for some reason, it was really hard for me to write. Hopefully the next chapter will be better and faster in coming. Ciao for now, and enjoy!

**Chapter 8: Frightening Thoughts, Concerned Feelings**:

_Two Weeks Later: Mort's POV_:

Scribbling on a piece of paper, Mort focused his full attention on his work and the topic he was writing on instead of his surroundings. He had little time left before an orderly came in to drag him to his psychiatric session with Doctor Vincent, and he needed to finish this before then. No time to edit it: just finish writing it, that's it. If he didn't finish now, it'd never get done, and then she'd never get it because he would think it too imperfect to give to her.

Giving the document one last period and one final once-over, Mort gave a relieved sigh and looked up. Kayla was in her normal spot behind the desk, but she looked too busy to interrupt. Still, he'd worked hard on this piece, and he truly wanted to give it to her to read. It was about her and the numerous things he found attractive in her, and Mort so wanted her to know how he felt about her. He knew that it might freak her out, though, so he'd made it subtle and poetic so as to soften the enthrallment he felt towards her.

One more glance told him that she was finished with her work and taking a small break, so Mort decided to make his move while he could. His writing was a bit smudged, but, from his point of view, still legible. So, gathering his nerve, he stood up and went to approach the front desk.

* * *

_Kayla's POV_:

Rubbing her temples, Kayla tried her best to focus on her work…or in this case, _lack of_ work. Today had been unusually slow, with few visitors and even fewer things for her to file and organize. Even the phones were quiet, and that was unusual. Oh, well, best not to look a gift horse in the mouth, huh? Ugh, she was beginning to sound like her grandma!

"Kayla?" whispered a soft, velvet-like voice.

Looking up, Kayla met the deep-brown gaze of Mort. Inwardly sighing, she put on a smile. He was a nice man, always trying to cheer her up whenever she felt down or upset, and she appreciated it…but it was the other things that freaked her out about the psychotic author. A good example would be the slips of paper that appeared on the window ledge. They were disturbing enough by simply being there; their contents, praising her beauty and kindness towards him, were creepy. And yet here he was again, smiling at her and offering another piece of paper, one that would say wonderful things about her but still give her the shivers.

"Hello, Mort," she said, her smile still on her face. "What can I do for you today?"

He smiled at her as he slid the paper through the small sliding window. "I wrote this for you," he said, his voice soft and (surprisingly) shy. "I hope you like it."

Kayla picked up the paper and gave him another smile. "Thank you, Mort," she said, being polite like she always was to him. "You should get going, Mort, your appointment is soon."

He actually pouted, and despite being a bit afraid of him, Kayla had to admit that Mort Rainey was, well, _sexy_ when he pouted. He had this amazing full set of lips that were nicely set-off by a small dark beard and moustache, and she just wanted to…

She mentally slapped herself. '_Don't even think about it_,' she chided herself, focusing back on the man in front of her.

"But I don't want to go," he said, sounding amazingly grown up and mature about it. He just sounded reluctant about going.

"Well, it _is_ for the best, Mort," Kayla said, smiling at him. "They're only trying to help you get better so you can go home."

"But I don't want to go home." Mort's brown eyes suddenly turned intense, focusing on her. "I want to stay with you…I want to be near you."

In the pit of her stomach, Kayla felt that the nervousness was back again, and this time, it was off the charts. She thought the sessions with the doctors and nurses were making him better, but that clearly wasn't the case. In fact, he seemed to be getting worse! Why, just the other day he'd attacked another man who was pointing at her and laughing, and Mort had thought that the man was laughing at her when he really wasn't. He'd only managed to calm down once Kayla had come up and tried to help restrain him with the rest of the staff. It was quite out of character for Mort to do something like that, but then, Kayla knew nothing about him. Now he was scaring the crap out of her by simply handing her a note and talking to her…

"There you are, Mr. Rainey!" exclaimed a voice. "It's time for your mental evaluation!"

Kayla let out a relieved breath when she recognized Holly's voice. Her friend smiled at her as she walked up and snagged Mort's arm, taking him towards the examination room. Shaking her head to clear it of all thought, Kayla once again turned her attention back towards the desk that held her history book and began to read.

In seconds, she was lost in the Middle Ages and Mort Rainey vanished from her mind.

* * *

_Mort's POV_:

He hadn't been looking forward to seen Dr. Vincent before, but since Kayla had told him that it was needed, Mort felt compelled to go. After all, in the end, he was doing this for her as much as for him, right? Sighing, Mort rubbed his forehead as Nurse Holly opened the door and left him to the doctor.

"Have a seat, Mort," Dr. Vincent said, green eyes focusing on him from his seat in a leather chair.

Mort sat, but he didn't feel happy about it. Instead, he focused his attention on everything else _except_ the man he was supposed to be talking to. He especially focused on the image he had in his head, the one of Kayla smiling at him through the glass whenever he walked up to her.

"Well, Mort, how are you feeling?"

"Fine," he replied, looking at his hands.

"No more dreams about your 'angel'?" asked Dr. Vincent, a pen carefully posed above a pad of paper.

Mort squirmed. "No," he muttered, just loud enough to be heard.

"How do you feel about Kayla?"

Mort's head snapped up at the unexpected question. "Um, she's a nice girl," he stuttered. "She's very nice and polite and…kind to me."

"I see." Dr. Vincent scribbled something down on paper. "Do you feel any sort of attraction towards her? Any sort of connection to her?"

Mort blinked and tried to figure something out quickly. If he answered truthfully, he'd be locked in here for the rest of his life and he'd never get to see Kayla again. On the other hand, if he lied and tried to seem indifferent to her, word might get around and Kayla would never really know the extent of his feelings for her. Still, there had to be a way to seem indifferent towards his feelings for her and still win her over when he got out…so he'd just have to improvise.

"I think that I…feel as attracted to her as any man would be attracted to a beautiful young woman," Mort slowly replied.

Dr. Vincent nodded and proceeded with the questioning, occasionally writing and nodding at Mort's answers. Sometimes he chewed his pen, but mostly he just looked thoughtful. Mort sincerely hoped that his answers were convincing, but since he never knew what was going to be asked, he had very little time to make up stuff as he went along. Finally, the session was over, and Mort waited to hear what the psychiatrist had to say.

"Well, Mr. Rainey, I'm afraid our session is over," Dr. Vincent said, smiling at him as they both stood up. "I look forward to our next session tomorrow afternoon."

Mort nodded and left the room, focused on creating another drawing of Kayla before the day was over.

* * *

_That Night: Staff Meeting: Author's POV_:

Running his hand over his eyes, Mark Vincent sighed. He really had no idea what to do with Mort Rainey, and his staff members weren't helping, either. A large amount thought that Mort was making progress, but others thought he was getting worse.

Most of the time, Mr. Rainey was a calm individual who spent a lot of time writing and sitting isolated from the other patients. He was courteous to the staff members, ate his food and took his medication quietly and in a timely order, and he was more than happy to writing things for the more kind-hearted staff members when they made a request. To all appearances, Mort Rainey was the perfect patient and deserved to be released.

However, he had several major things working against him. For one thing, there was the fact that he hardly ever took his (conscious) eyes off of Miss Kayla Baker whenever she was around. The fact that the man had attacked other patients due to their supposed "insults" of the redheaded receptionist didn't help him much, either. Thus, the reason some of the staff wanted him stuck here until he'd proven that he was, well, sane.

"For God's sakes, Alex, you only want the guy here because Kayla prefers to stick up for him against you," Holly snapped at the orderly. "And don't you deny that you don't like Kayla, we've all seen how you try and flirt with her, not to mention how you look at her when she walks by."

"She's right, Alex," Frank said, looking at his fellow orderly and friend. "Mort's a good man, and deserves to be let out. He's done his time, and he's as aggressive as we are when we're out in the 'real world'."

"I still don't trust him," Alex snapped, brown eyes flashing at the mention of Mort and Kayla's names so close together. "I mean, look what he did to Nicky!"

"Hon, you know Nicky's prone to taunting others," said Samantha, a nurse who worked with the 'childlike' patients. "And he's got the mind of a fairly violent six-year-old, so it wasn't necessarily Mort's fault."

Alex frowned but said nothing more. Instead, the debate raged on as staff member after staff member told their opinions about Mort Rainey, and still some were against it. In the end, they had to settle with keeping him there, though under different supervision. The entire staff felt that putting him under constant watch was no longer necessary, but the man needed his own nurse to help him be able to interact with others and to try and adjust for an eventual release into society.

The problem was: who would be willing to take on such a roll with a man who only wanted one person in the world, the woman who was also the one person they couldn't let him have?

* * *

_The Next Day, Kayla's POV_:

A pounding headache and a swollen throat greeted her as she woke up, and Kayla instantly knew that there was no way in hell that she would be able to make it to work today. She rarely got sick (maybe once a year, twice if there was something serious going around campus), and she hated every minute of it. This time, though, at least she was able to have paid sick days and vacations!

Groaning, Kayla rolled over and grabbed the silver cordless phone next to her bed. She doubted she could talk, but if she was going to stay home, she definitely had to call work. Quickly dialing the number, someone managed to pick up the line after three rings. At the sound of Holly's warm voice greeting her, Kayla opened her mouth to give a reply. A sound that resembled the word 'hello' emerged from her throat, but it sounded like a frog had spoken the word. Kayla blinked and opened her mouth again.

"Holly?" Success!

"Yeah, speaking…who is this?"

"It's Kayla." Two words, even better than before!

"Kay, you sound terrible!" Holly said, gasping into the phone. "Are you okay?"

"I feel like crap," Kayla replied, groaning at the pain in her throat and the fact that her voice sounded like she was gargling gravel. "I don't think I'll be in for the next few days."

"That's okay, sweetie, you just stay home and get better," Holly reassured her. "You're no good to anyone of you sound like a frog."

"Thanks for that," Kayla said, rolling her eyes. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, feel better soon, Kayla!"

"Thanks, Holly."

She hung up the phone and promptly fell backwards into her nice warm bed, her eyes drifting shut as sleep immediately overwhelmed her.

* * *

_That Afternoon, Mort's POV_:

Pacing through the hallways of the hospital, Mort felt trapped within the walls of the building. Kayla hadn't shown up this morning, and he was beginning to worry. Had she quit her job here because of the attention he had been lavishing on her? No, that couldn't be it; she'd always smiled whenever he gave her a poem or written piece of work. Perhaps she was trying to avoid him by not showing up, hoping that he would give up his pursuit of her? Ha, as if he'd ever stop trying to woo her heart…not in this lifetime or any other.

'_Then why isn't she here_?' he thought, running his hand through his hair, quickly becoming frustrated. He pacing increased, as did his speed.

The nursing staff would never tell him what was going on, but he desperately had to know why Kayla wasn't there. Perhaps she had gone on vacation? No, she would have been excited if she were looking forward to a vacation somewhere, and she had been perfectly calm and normal all week. So it was definitely not a vacation…so that left…what? _Well, she could be sick_…

Mort stopped pacing, his head jerking up. Could Kayla be ill? It was possible…after all, it's not like she was immune to that sort of thing, so that had to be it. But if she was too sick and weak to come to work, Mort knew he had to check up on her. There was no way he was going to let her be alone and miserable while she was sick; it was wrong, and it was his duty to help the woman he loved feel better. Nodding to himself, Mort headed towards the main lobby.

Upon his arrival at the front desk, he saw Nurse Holly standing there behind the shielding, a manila folder in her hands. He gently tapped the plastic and waited for her to acknowledge his presence. Sure enough, her head snapped up and her black hair tossed about as she searched for the cause of the noise. Her blue eyes found him, and she left the desk to come out and talk to him.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Rainey?" she asked, smiling at him.

Mort tried his best to be polite to the only nurse who treated him like an actual person. "Well, Nurse Holly," he said nervously, rubbing his face and neck. "I was wondering why Kayla isn't here today."

Nurse Holly's smile wavered for a brief second before stabilizing. "Well, she's out sick today, and isn't likely to show up for a few days," she said, her blue eyes scanning him for his reaction.

Concern flooded his very being. "She's that sick?" he whispered, feeling the sudden urge to run out the door and find her.

"I'm afraid so," she replied, giving him an encouraging smile. "I'm sure she'll be fine in a few days, though, don't worry." She turned to walk away.

Mort rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't sure if he could survive several days without looking at or being near Kayla for at least a few minutes. He wanted to go find her, but knew they'd never let him outside the hospital while he was still 'mentally ill.' Still, there had to be some way he could communicate with her!

"Do you think I could call her?" he blurted out suddenly.

Nurse Holly stopped and turned to look at him. "Mr. Rainey, you know that phone calls are not allowed to be made by patients," she said, her eyes boring into him. "I also hope you realize that this goes against the treatments that we've been giving you for your hallucinations."

It was then that Mort realized his mistake. Asking for permission to call the woman that he was allegedly "obsessed" with could only get him in even deeper trouble than before! As he was backing away from the front desk, he realized that there were several orderlies approaching. He quickly looked up and saw Nurse Holly giving him a sad and guilty look as he felt hands grab him and a needle prick his arm.

The last thing he saw was Kayla's face flashing before his eyes.

* * *

_That Afternoon, Mort's POV_:

Blinking the drugged sleep out of his eyes, Mort groaned and raised his arms to rub his aching head. Well, he tried to raise his hands. It was then that he realized that his arms were being restrained by straps, as well as his legs!

"What's going on?" he cried, struggling to free himself. "Why did you drug me and put me in here? Why am I tied down like this?"

"It's for your own good, Mr. Rainey," said a female voice nearby. "We can't have you going against your treatments like you've been doing."

"But I just wanted to know if she was alright!" he yelled, still trying to get free. "I'm just concerned for her!"

"Be that as it may, Mr. Rainey, it's still part of an unhealthy obsession with a hallucination," said the nurse as she approached his bed. It wasn't one that he'd seen before, but that meant nothing. "You can't go against your treatments, or you may be stuck in here for the rest of your life. Now please, let us help you with this problem?"

Mort saw her hands come up and release his legs. She paused and nodded to a couple orderlies by the door as she began undoing the straps holding his arms. Once he was free, Mort sat straight up and leapt off the bed, wanting to get away from it and its straps as soon as possible. The orderlies, however, thought that he was trying to attack them, so they grabbed him and pinned him to the bed.

"No, wait! I won't try anything, I swear!" he cried, fully panicked. "I promise, please let me go!"

"If you stop struggling and moving around, Mr. Rainey, I'll have them release you," the nurse said.

Mort instantly stopped moving and went slack. The orderlies looked towards the nurse and released him when she nodded. She then approached him and put a couple of pills in his hand, as well as a paper cup full of water. Mort took them and felt the sedatives go straight into his system, sending him into dreams.

* * *

AN: Yet another chapter done! I'm thinking of going back to writing **_Pirates of the Caribbean_** stories. I've got a plot I need to get out, so it'll happen after this fic is finished. Review! 


	9. A Surprising Turn of Events

Disclaimer: If I owned Mort, I'd be living with him in his cabin and doing very naughty things with (and to) him…but since I don't, I'm stuck here writing stories about him (_sighs_).

AN: Hurray for chapter 9! Off topic, though, I'm seriously thinking of going back to **_Pirates of the Caribbean_**. I'm running out of ideas for **_Secret Window_** fics, so unless people have suggestions for future stories (which I'm _always_ open to), I'll be back on the **_Pirates_** bandwagon as soon as this fic is done. Just thought you should know. Later!

**Chapter 9: A Surprising Turn of Events**:

_A Week Later: Kayla's POV_:

Still a bit hoarse from her cold and cough, Kayla walked through the hospital doors and straight into chaos. Well, not exactly chaos, but enough of the sort of thing to make a person think twice about continuing forward. Still, she had to get back to work today, so she might as well try and weave her way through it. Sighing, Kayla mentally braced herself and walked forward. Trying to see what was going on, she held herself back from the event and tried to check out the scene.

There, struggling between several orderlies, was Mort Rainey. The orderlies were obviously trying to get him to his room, and he obviously didn't want to go…or at least, not go at that moment in time. Still, Kayla felt bad for him and inched a bit closer, knowing that an appearance by her would instantly calm him down; after all, it had happened before. It might not be the best idea, but it was (as far as she saw) the safest one, especially when it didn't involve anyone getting drugged out of their mind! Praying her plan would work, Kayla stepped into Mort's line of sight.

The results were miraculous. The moment Mort's eyes settled on her, he went limp. The staff members in charge of him simply froze at the sudden lack of action on the patient's part. As the nurses and orderlies attempted to get their bearings back, Kayla looked directly at Mort and gave him a small smile of support. Mort smiled back, a dreamy look settling on his face. A few nurses turned around and spotted her. Holly was one of those nurses, and the moment she saw what had attracted Mort's attention, she immediately barked out orders. The staff quickly snapped to attention and followed whatever task they were given. Before Kayla could blink twice, a very calm Mort was being taken down the hall and she was standing in the office of the chief-of-staff.

Kayla gulped. She's never been in Dr. Vincent's office before, and had hoped to never be here unless she was being promoted to a better pay or position. She seriously doubted that was the case for this little 'visitation.' Swallowing hard again, she looked at the tall man behind the desk, expecting a lecture that she felt was due.

"Kayla, do you realize what you've done out there today?" Dr. Vincent asked, leaning forward in his chair so that he could clasp his hands on his desk.

She looked at the floor before speaking. "I was only trying to help, sir," she replied, nervously twisting her hands together in front of her.

"I know you were, but I doubt that your appearance will be a good thing for Mr. Rainey," Dr. Vincent sighed, tapping his fingers on the desk. "He's a very sick man, and having you 'magically' appear whenever he's being taken somewhere and he's in trouble could have serious consequences on his mentality." He stopped tapping and leaned back in his chair, his hands folded over his abdomen. "It could be damaging to all of the hard work we've put into him. I hope you realize that."

She simply nodded, but wanted to speak out on her behalf, and, for some reason, on Mort's as well. Bracing herself and gathering her courage, Kayla looked up and met her boss's eyes.

"I'm sorry for what I did, sir, but I was only trying to help Mort," she said, clutching her hands together. "All of the drugging you keep doing to him can't be good for his physical health. From what I've heard, he has recently been much calmer and makes considerable progress whenever no one is trying to _force_ him into something or provokes him into an action that could be seen as self-defense. I was simply trying to find another way to deal with the situation that didn't need or involve violence and, quite possibly, drugs, to keep him calm. I was only interested in a man's welfare."

Dr. Vincent gave her a surprised look. "Are you sure you aren't a psychology or medical student?" he asked, eyeing her up and down suspiciously.

Kayla blinked. "Positive," she said, startled at the sudden change in subject and her boss's attitude. "Why do you ask?"

"Because that sounded suspiciously like something a psychology or medical student would say in such a situation," Dr. Vincent replied, a small smile on his lips. "They're always looking for other ways to deal with mentally disturbed patients, and you sounded just like them."

She couldn't help but blush. "I was only trying to do the right thing, sir," Kayla said, looking down at her feet, her courage forgotten.

He chuckled. "Well, I'm afraid I've forgotten my lecture," Dr. Vincent replied, scratching a cheek with his finger. "Off with you, but please remember not to do that sort of thing again, okay?"

"Yes, sir," she chirped quickly exiting through the door, confused but grateful for the escape.

* * *

_Author's POV_:

A few moments after Kayla had left his office, Dr. Vincent summoned all important personnel for an emergency staff meeting. Once everyone had taken their seats, he looked each nurse and orderly in the eye and spoke of a new way to help treat Mort Rainey.

"I propose letting Ms. Baker treat Mr. Rainey by way of helping and teaching him to adjust to the 'real world.' I feel this new treatment could also help cure his fixation on Ms. Baker for good."

There was a brief moment of silence before the staff exploded with protests. Not only was Kayla _not_ a psychology student, but she was also the fixation of the disturbed patient she was to help! To put them together could possibly end in some sort of chaotic event, likely the injury or death of one of the two. It was an unheard of idea, one that was dangerous for both the patient and the one treating him. There was no way the staff was going to allow this, especially when said patient can be violent.

After listening to chaotic voices for a good few seconds, Dr. Vincent picked up the gavel he kept for these situations and banged it several times. The noise quieted down, and he took the advantage once again to explain the reasons behind his choice.

"I realize that this must be extremely unusual, but I have my reasons," he said, looking each staff member in the eye. "One is that, even though Kayla resembles the woman from his hallucinations, she is currently the only person Mr. Rainey listens to when it concerns his treatments. I'm even beginning to think that she is the reason that he even comes to the sessions with me, and is quite possibly the reason he needs to cure his mental illness."

Someone snorted in disbelief, but he ignored it in favor of continuing his argument with the staff.

"Furthermore, having Kayla involved might even rid Mr. Rainey of his belief in a perfect angel. By making her flawed and human would prove that his angel doesn't exist in reality by way of exposing him to a real woman with faults," Dr. Vincent continued, once again looking everyone in the eye. "What I mean is this: his illusionary woman is just that; an illusion that is too perfect to exist. Therefore, he focuses on the nearest physical likeness to that angel and transfers his feelings onto her. If we can prove that Kayla is an ordinary woman with faults, he will realize that she is a real person and stop obsessing over her, thus breaking the illusion and bringing real life back into his world."

"Once we have cured Mr. Rainey of his obsession with his illusion, it's only a matter of time before we simply release him back into the world with the realization that the angel of his dreams was merely a psychological means to cope with the trauma of being in a mental institution. He will realize that clinging to that illusion had only hindered his treatments and release, and will therefore become a 'sane' man."

Dr. Vincent leaned back in his chair with a satisfied look. The staff members simply stared at him for a good few minutes as he words sunk into their heads. What he said made sense, so there was a chance that it might work. It would certainly save a great deal of time and effort to get him to do things and go places. Plus, the drugs could be used for the other patients that were also troubling the staff in numerous ways. Yes, there was a good chance that this idea could work…

Nearly every head in the room looked at him with a small smile of approval…save for one…

* * *

_Kayla's POV_:

"They want me to do **_what_**!"

Now she was seriously beginning to think that the staff members here were insane and not the patients. They wanted her to help treat Mort Rainey and make him better? _What the hell were they thinking_? She knew nothing about treating the mentally ill! Hell, she might even make him worse than he already was! And what if he tried to do something that could hurt her, like attack her or (dare she think it) rape her?

'_I'd better be able to sue the shit out of these people if something bad happens to me_,' she thought, furious at what they were making her do. If something happened to her, she hoped that her parents would get on the asses of the staff and slap them all with a lawsuit the size of North America. '_Note to self: be sure to write a letter and leave it for someone to see if I get murdered while I'm here. That way, if something does happen to me, my folks find out and do something about it_.'

"Now, Kayla, there's no need to get upset," Holly said, holding her hands up to stop any further arguments. "You're just going to spend a few hours a day with him, get him used to being around normal people again, that's all. You won't be doing anything out of your league, just helping a guy get adjusted to society and the way it works through person-to-person interaction. What do you say?"

Holly then gave her the most incredibly _huge_ puppy-dog look, and the blueness of her eyes only made it harder to reject what she'd proposed. Kayla wanted so badly to say 'no', just like her common sense told her to, but for some reason, a part of her wanted to help Mort Rainey become 'normal' again. It felt like it was the right thing to do, but then, it also felt sort of wrong. Still, this man needed her, so she felt she'd have to do the right thing.

She sighed. "When do I start?"

* * *

_Mort's POV:_

Mort finally snapped out of his little 'daze' when he heard someone tapping him on the shoulder. He didn't register the feeling at first; he was too busy thinking about Kayla to pay attention to the other person in the room. He was forced to come back to reality when the tapping got annoyingly persistent. Not wanting to acknowledge the other person, but having no choice in the matter, Mort turned his head to the side and saw Frank standing beside him.

"Well, it's about time," the orderly said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Mr. Rainey, it's time for your meeting with Dr. Vincent."

Mort sighed, but did as he was told. After all, he'd caused enough trouble for the staff this past week, so they probably deserved a break. He just couldn't seem to act normally without Kayla nearby, and the void she'd left with her absence had caused him to act out in violent ways. It didn't help matters when the other patients teased him about her being gone or when they said they were glad that the red-haired witch at the front desk wasn't there.

The results coming from those insults were fairly obvious: feeling the need to protect the woman he loved, Mort would involuntarily leap up and slam the offender against the wall. _Nobody_ insulted _his_ woman, not when he had anything to say about it! The other patient would look so scared that they would start calling for help, and of course, the orderlies and nurses responded as soon as the first call for help was heard. They would see the situation and easily sorted out the problem for themselves. At the end of the day, Mort ended up being dragged down the hallway by force, and a syringe full of drugs would be pumped into his blood system. He never knew what happened to the other patient, but then, he didn't care. As long as Kayla was being defended by him, it didn't matter.

Reaching the door to Dr. Vincent's office, Mort prepared himself for another lecture and another increase of his drug dosage. So far, they'd managed to add at least two or three more pills to the cupful he had previously been taking, but they didn't help very much. The only thing that could help him feel better had returned just that morning, and now they were probably going to take her away from him! If he couldn't be near her…well, then life wasn't worth living until he got out of there.

"Please sit down, Mort," Dr. Vincent said, nodding towards the chair.

Mort took it and began running his fingers through his hair. He knew it only made it look worse, but there wasn't anything he could do about that. His hair had always been a mess, but he didn't really want to do anything about it…unless Kayla wanted him to do something about it, then he would. Hell, he'd shave his head if she asked him to!

"Now, Mort, we really have to talk about these outbursts you've been having lately."

Mort mentally rolled his eyes. He knew that they used this tone of voice and called him by his first name when they wanted to chide him like a child. For goodness sakes, he was a grown man! True, he'd had problems with a split personality that was no longer present, but that didn't mean that he had the mentality of a child. Other patients had that problem, but not him. It was damned annoying, and he wished that they'd just stop doing it.

Looking up at the man behind the desk, Mort noticed that the doctor was smiling, and Dr. Vincent _never_ smiled at a patient unless that person was either going to be released, or have something unusual happen to them. Since Mort knew that there was no way in the realms of Hell he'd be getting out of there anytime soon, he figured that they were going to start him on some sort of new form of treatment for his 'problems'. Inwardly sighing, he braced himself for whatever was going to be thrown at him.

"I've talked with the other staff members here at the hospital, Mort, and we've all decided to have someone new help you with your…social and mental difficulties."

'_Oh, great, here it comes_.' Mort inwardly groaned. If they'd brought in another doctor to help him adjust to the world and to forget about Kayla, they could just forget it; it was never going to happen.

"Mort, your new helper in this treatment will be Kayla."

Mort blinked and fell out of his chair, falling to his knees on the floor.

* * *

_That Afternoon, Mort's POV_:

After nearly passing out from the news that Kayla was going to be the key to his new treatment, Mort had spent the rest of the morning and nearly all afternoon trying to look as good as possible. He brushed his hair, asked an orderly to trim his beard and mustache, and brushed his teeth. Even though Mort had never actually '_let himself go_' while he was at the hospital, he supposed that he could have taken better care of his appearance. The thing was that he'd had no reason to. Now he did, and he was going to do everything in his power to look good.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to remain calm and composed. He didn't know what Kayla had planned for today, but he was going to do whatever was expected of him and not try to relapse to what he had been before; he was going to get better if it was the last thing he did!

* * *

_That Same Afternoon: Kayla's POV_:

'_I must be out of my mind_,' she thought, rubbing sweaty palms on her black pants. '_I must be insane to think that I can help a man obsessed with me get over his obsession with me. I know absolutely nothing about psychology_.' Kayla sighed as she walked towards the treatment room she was supposed to meet Mort Rainey in. '_Then again, that's why they want me, according to Holly. She says they need someone 'normal' to help Mort interact with others and become sane through this 'interacting'_.'

Sighing again, Kayla took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She and Mort had never held very long conversations in the past; the longest one had been when he'd massaged her neck and shoulders and that had been it. Most encounters had held small bursts of small-talk, or the occasional wave and/or smile when passing. It was like they were teenagers stealing small secret moments in the hallway at school: the guy passing secret notes to the girl, a small glance here and there, etc. Sweet, yes, but not a good idea, especially in this situation!

Arriving at the assigned room, Kayla opened the door and saw a very neat and tidy Mort Rainey look up at her from a table. He smiled at her and stood up. Unsure about what he was trying to do, she stood still and allowed him to do what he wanted. She was surprised when he came up to her and offered her his arm. Still a tad bit startled, Kayla accepted his arm and his escort to the table, where he proceeded to pull out her chair for her. Taking the chair, she felt him push it in under her and saw him take his own chair, a smile never leaving his face.

She gave him a smile of her own and saw his smile broaden into a grin. Inwardly sighing, Kayla seriously hoped that this '_treatment session_' passed without any kind of mishap; she wasn't sure she could handle a group of orderlies restraining Mort as a nurse shoved a needle into his arm...she hated needles, and seeing someone get a forced injection of sedatives would be just the thing to make her pass out. No, this session had to go by without anything happening. There were orderlies outside the door, just in case, but she hoped that they wouldn't be necessary.

'_Let's get this party started, shall we_?' she thought before asking, "So how are you today, Mort?"

"I'm fine," he said, leaning closer to her over the table, his hands inching towards hers.

Trying to ignore his hands, Kayla attempted to focus on something else. "That's good. I just hope that you weren't hurt when they took you to your room like that."

"No, no, I'm fine." His hands found hers, and she tried to pull them back. His grip was too tight, so she simply let them be.

"Well, you really shouldn't give them a reason to do that to you, Mort," Kayla gently chided him. "It's not a good idea, and someone could get hurt."

An apologetic look crossed his face as his hands gently squeezed hers. "I'm sorry, I was only trying to defend you when the other patients were being insulting towards you," he softly replied.

'_He tried to 'defend my honor'_?' she thought, oddly touched and extremely amazed. Kayla mentally shook her head. "Still, that's no reason to use violence, Mort. Violence only leads to more violence, and possibly even death. Can you promise me that you won't use violence on anyone after today?"

Mort looked at her with eager, hopeful eyes. "I promise," he said, smiling at her.

She smiled back. "Good," she said, trying to encourage him in that area. "Now, why don't you tell me what makes you mad, and we'll see how we can help you deal with that anger?"

* * *

_That night, Kayla's POV_:

As she lay in bed that night, going over the day's events, Kayla felt fairly proud of herself. She'd gotten Mort to open up a bit and talk about things that didn't involve her or her personal life. Oh, he'd tried to get her to talk about herself, but she'd convinced him that they'd talk about her next time, and that today was about him and his problems. What shocked her was that Mort had simply backed down and did as she asked, and talked about himself and the problems that had landed him in the institution.

The day's session had been, in Dr. Vincent's and Holly's opinion, successful. It seemed that Kayla had helped pinpoint where Mort's split personality had originated from, and why it had emerged in such a violent way. They had also discovered that, since there was really nothing here to truly outrage Mort to the point of a sort of a 'killing-rage,' his worse half had sunk back into the depths of his mind. As long as they managed to teach him how to handle his anger out in the world, Mort Rainey could become just like everyone else.

'_Once he gets over his obsession with me, that is_,' she thought, her eyes drifting shut.

That was the only problem they had so far, and probably the biggest. He needed to be cure of this fixation. After that, he'd forget all about her and life would go on for the two of them. And yet, somehow, that seemed like the saddest thought she'd ever had.

* * *

AN: Oh, is she falling for Mort? Wait and see in future chapters! Don't forget to review! Thanks! 


	10. Intimate Moments: Rated R

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort or his sexy body…though I wish I did!

AN: I was kind of in a rush to write this, so please forgive me if anything is messed up. Anyway, here's chapter 10. Hope you enjoy it, because it's **rated R** (if this sort of thing offends you, please skip the marked section).

**Chapter 10: Intimate Moments**:

_Three Weeks Later, Kayla's POV_:

Sitting behind the front desk and rubbing her eyes, Kayla felt a bit proud of herself. Today had been her fifth treatment day with Mort Rainey, and things had gone very well. He was making amazingly huge progress in interacting with her and other members of the staff, and almost everyone seemed to have high hopes for him. Mort's violent outbursts had disappeared, and he now tried to solve his problems with aggressive patients through talking to them and calming them down. In other words, Mort had practically become a changed man.

'_Now if only we could get him to stop obsessing over me_,' she thought, her eyes still closed as she attempted to relax before resuming her receptionist tasks.

Despite all of her attempts, Mort could not seem to forget about his deep attraction towards her. He still approached her at the desk, a flower or a story in his hands, and would stand and wait to see her reaction to his latest attempts at wooing her. Not only did he give her gifts, but he also seemed to crave physical contact with her. In order to satisfy his need for her touch, Mort would always hold her hands while they were in his treatment sessions. If he hadn't been insane, Kayla would have felt flattered by all of the attention; as it was, it was both charming _and_ frightening. Still, she couldn't get enough of his handsome looks, especially when he tried so hard to look good just for her.

The last thought made her blush. Yes indeed, Mort Rainey was a _very_ good-looking man, despite him being at least fifteen or twenty years older than her. Time hadn't diminished the colors of his tousled blond-brown hair, nor the smooth skin of his face or the lips that looked so kissable. He also had the softest, velvet-like voice that seemed to caress her whenever he spoke. Oh, yes, Mort was a _very_ _sexy_ _man_ in every aspect, and if he weren't insane, she'd go out with him in a heartbeat.

Sighing, Kayla once again turned her attention towards her work, unaware that she was being watched.

* * *

_That Same Moment: Mort's POV_:

Lying down on his bed, Mort stared up at the ceiling, his heart singing in his chest. He had managed to make it through another session with Kayla and another after-treatment session with Dr. Vincent, and all felt right with the world. According to Dr. Vincent, his sessions with Kayla were doing him a great deal of good, and the entire staff felt very optimistic about his getting out within the next few months. Now if only he could do something about Kayla…

_Kayla_. He groaned. She was the one person in the world that made him whole, the one who completed his world and set him on fire whenever she looked at, spoke to, or walked by him. There was nothing Mort wanted so badly to do than drag her to his room and ravish her in his bed, but he knew she'd never allow that to happen. He had to be patient, he had to get better, and, most importantly, he had to sweep her off her feet.

There was only one small problem: how long could he fight his lust before he gave in to it?

* * *

_The Next Week: Kayla's POV_:

In her opinion, there's nothing worse than getting up early on a Monday morning. Well, except perhaps getting up early on a Monday morning when it's pointless to do so, like on a holiday. Either way, getting up early on Mondays are pure torture…especially when you wake up and realize that you don't have anything decent to wear to work that day.

"Shit!" she yelled, going through her closet. "I knew I should have done my laundry this weekend!"

Or was it technically _last_ weekend? Oh, well, it didn't matter; the point was that she had no 'professional' clothes to wear to work today, probably even for the rest of the week! Well, she'd just have to make today Laundry Day instead.

'_Yeah, I'd better do that…can't wear stinky clothes to work, or wear something that's too casual_,' she thought, hurriedly moving hangers of clothes across the rack.

Unfortunately, casual tops were the only things she had available; short-sleeved tops, tank tops, even the occasional tube top, but nothing she could wear to work and get away with. She'd already done that once, and Holly had nearly had a fit when she'd worn a green tank top and a filmy black shell over it. It had been dubbed "inappropriate," and even though she hadn't been in a lot of trouble or been made to change, she promised never to wear that sort of thing again. Today, however, Kayla really didn't have a choice: it was make something casual "professional," or go to work topless.

"And I doubt that the boss will like _that_ idea," she muttered, once again going through her clothes.

Finally, she came across a red top that seemed appropriate for work, and would go well with her knee-length black skirt. It was a red material that had gold embroidery all over it, and was fairly elegant, but still casually professional. It was like a tank top, but it had filmy _short_ sleeves that were about an inch wide. It was sort of tight on her (she'd accidentally bought it a size too small), but it would still look appropriate on all of the right spots…hopefully. Oh, well, beggars can't be choosers.

By the time she had showered, dressed, and had breakfast, she was running twenty minutes late. Fortunately, there was no traffic and she skidded into the building about two minutes late for work, with no one the wiser of her late arrival.

Or so she thought, anyway.

* * *

_Mort's POV_:

The moment Kayla showed up in a fantastically elegant outfit of short skirt and red top, Mort felt his groin tighten. She'd never worn something like that to work before! Was she trying to temp him into becoming more forward in his desire for her? Could she want something more…intimate…than what they'd been doing before?

Smiling to himself, Mort managed to control his hormones and focus on the treatment session coming up that afternoon. After that…well…he'd have to wait and see what happened.

* * *

_That Afternoon, Kayla's POV_:

Once again, it was time for Mort's treatment session, and Kayla was fairly nervous about this one. In her hurry to get dressed for work, she'd completely forgotten that today was a session with Mort, and she was beginning to doubt her choice in clothing. After all, Mort might get the wrong idea about her attire, but it was too late to do anything about it. She'd just have to wait and see where today went.

Taking a deep breath, Kayla walked into the treatment room to find Mort standing by the window. His head quickly turned around and his jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw her. Kayla couldn't stop herself from blushing, so she looked away, quickly taking a seat at the table. Mort immediately followed her example. After a brief moment of awkward silence, Kayla began asking questions that the nurses had prepped her for that morning: primarily questions about his likes and dislikes, all perfectly normal questions that help him open up to people.

All in all, it was a fairly interesting session; Kayla learned all about Mort's favorite foods, movies, books, and music, and it was an odd mix of every genre imaginable. Mort Rainey was a fascinating man, indeed, and she felt oddly comfortable in his presence. That relaxed feeling vanished when he turned the tables and asked what she liked in return. She answered honestly, but felt uncomfortable when she realized that he seemed to hang on to every word that passed her lips, almost as though he were filing the information away in the back of his mind for later use. Kayla suddenly felt anxious for the session to end.

When the nurses came in to end the session and escort Mort back to his room, Kayla let out a huge sigh of relief. Trying to get rid of the icky feeling inside her, she headed for the front desk to grab a soda, hoping that the sugar would pep her up a bit.

* * *

_An hour later: Mort's POV_:

Lying on his bed, Mort mentally went over everything that Kayla had told him that afternoon in their session. Did she not realize that they had many of the same tastes in things like food and music? It was like one of those 15-minute dates that were so popular these days: he got to know her, and she him in a quick conversation. She even wanted to be a writer! They could travel the world together, see everything in a new light…it would be a truly magical experience.

'_But she'll never want to be with me until I get better_,' he thought, disappointment shooting through his heart. '_She'll never let me hold her, touch her_.'

_Unless_…

A smile quirked the corners of his mouth as he leaped from his bed and out the door of his room, searching for the object of his desires.

* * *

_Kayla's POV_:

Making her way down a side hallway, Kayla mentally went over the afternoon's chat with Mort. He was a nice guy, very handsome and courteous, and a good conversationalist, but he was also insane.

'_So the doctors say_,' retorted a voice in the back of her head. '_But he hasn't done anything extremely dangerous, right_?'

'_He's attacked numerous patients_!' she said back. '_Tell me that's not an insane action_!'

'_It's not really insane, considering "normal" people do it all the time_,' snapped the voice. '_I believe it's called "road rage,' honey. I'm sure you've heard of it_. _And he only acted out because he thought people were trying to hurt or insult you somehow_.'

Well, she couldn't argue with that. "Sane" people tended to act out their rage in public all the time, but they were sent to jail, not the mental ward! However, Kayla felt that Mort was a nice guy, despite all of his previous actions, and felt awful about him being in a situation she felt he didn't deserve. Sighing, she made her way past the supply closet before she heard it open and was dragged inside.

* * *

**Rated R Moment**: _Kayla's POV_:

Kayla heard the door lock as she was forced up against the wall. Whirling around, her eyes managed to get a glimpse of Mort right before he pressed his body against hers. She gasped at the intimate contact, her hands instinctively going up to try and push him away. It didn't work. Instead, her hands pressed against amazingly hard muscle…he was actually very well built underneath his robe and loose clothes, though how he got that way, she didn't know.

She gasped again as his arms came up and pressed his palms against the white wall, one arm on each side of her head, preventing her escape. Looking up into his eyes, she saw them turn pitch-black in the dim light of the room, the orbs focusing hard on her face. One of his hands dropped from the wall and began caressing her face, gently stroking the skin before grabbing her head and pulling it towards his own. Closing her eyes, she felt his lips crash harshly against hers, his tongue forcefully snaking into her mouth to taste her.

She moaned, enjoying the first kiss she'd ever experienced in her life. It was hot and hard and passionate, showing the emotions of the man behind it. Kayla felt Mort aggressively slide his hands up her sides, going underneath her shirt and under her bra. Hot fingertips began to rub her chest, and that's what snapped her back. Kayla opened her eyes and raised her hands, grabbing Mort's wrists to pull them away from her body; she only moderately succeeded, wrestling his hands away from her chest, but he quickly trapped her arms against the wall with his own.

"Don't fight me, baby," he whispered into her ears. "Please, just let me love you like you deserve."

Kayla gasped when she felt his hands under her skirt, pulling it up and then moving downwards to remove her underwear. She tried pulling free, but the moment he dropped her undergarments to the floor, Mort grabbed her legs and wrapped them around his waist, effectively pinning her against the wall with his hips as his lips descended on her, nipping where the neck met the shoulder. She groaned when she felt him kiss the sensitive area, a jolt suddenly going through her body. Mort moaned in response and ground his hips against hers.

Feeling his erection through the thin layer of his pants, Kayla gasped in surprise and fear. She'd never been with a man before, and being taken by a mentally unstable man was _not_ how she wanted her first time to be! She struggled against him, but the friction caused by her movements not only (unintentionally) encouraged Mort, but furthered her growing desire as well by him grinding even harder against her.

Groaning in defeat, Kayla decided to give in and let Mort do what he wanted. After all, would it really be that bad to have a handsome man do it with her in a closet? It was rather naughty of her, but somehow, she didn't care.

* * *

_Mort's POV_:

Upon hearing her sigh and feeling her body relax against his, Mort took it as a sign of encouragement and reached down to undo the ties to his robe and further in to undo his pants. An instant later, both garments were on the floor and Mort was pushing himself into his angel's body. He could feel her stiffen, but ignored it in order to focus on bringing them both as much pleasure as possible. From the tight feeling around him, Mort knew that she was a virgin and that he had to take it slow…_very_ slow…at least at first…

The first few moments were agony for them both: Kayla for obvious reasons and Mort because he wanted nothing more than to ravish her so hard they left marks on the wall. Still, Mort was able to control his thrusts until he heard Kayla moan and felt her move her hips, wanting more. He felt her kiss his neck and she felt him become harder as he quickened his thrusts inside her. Both moaned in pleasure, and Mort tightly gripped her thighs with his hands. Kayla groaned at the strong physical contact and tightened her leg-grip around his waist.

Feeling the encouragement, Mort growled and proceeded to aggressively pin her against the wall with his body and his hips. Small whimpers and cries of pleasure came from Kayla's lips, and Mort knew he had to silence her before someone heard them. Covering her lips with his, Mort continued to quicken his forceful thrusts, needing her to come with him. Angling his hips, he took her at a new angle, causing her to quickly come to her release. Feeling her grip him, Mort eagerly tumbled after her, falling into pleasure he'd never thought possible outside of Heaven.

**End of Rated R moment**

* * *

****

_Kayla's POV_:

Feeling Mort release her lips, Kayla began panting to regain her breath. She was still pinned against the wall by a very sweaty Mort Rainey, but she let him hold her since he was the only thing keeping her upright. His blond head was resting on her right shoulder, his breath hot as he tried to regain his bearings. She felt him softly kiss her neck before sliding his hands down to caress her legs and rear end.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he whispered into her ear. He sounded horrified at the idea, and Kayla rushed to reassure him.

"No, I'm alright," she whispered back.

She wanted to pat his head or something, but was unable to move. All she wanted to do was lay down and sleep; she hadn't expected sex to be so exhausting, but then, this had been her first time. Sighing, Kayla leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a brief moment to try and get enough energy to make it through the day.

"You're beautiful," Mort softly said, a hand caressing her face.

Kayla opened her eyes and looked into his. He looked so blissfully tired and so at peace that she was immediately stunned. Could she have done that to him? It seemed so unreal that she had to look twice to make sure that she was right about his present contentment.

"Kayla?" he asked, looking at her with concern. "Are you alright?"

She blinked at him for a moment. "I'm fine," she replied. "Just tired."

Mort smiled. "I guess I overdid it," he said, stroking her face with his fingers. "I didn't mean to be so rough with you our first time."

"It's okay," she said, giving him a small smile. "But I have to get back to work and you need to…well, go back to whatever you do during this time of day."

"Writing," he said, nuzzling her neck. "Writing about you and how much you mean to me."

Kayla blushed and lowered her legs from around his hips. She felt him slide out of her as he pulled back, reaching down to redo the laces on his pants as she looked around for her underwear. Once the two of them had straightened themselves out, Kayla reached for the doorknob. A hand around her waist stopped her exit.

"Tell me you liked it."

It was a request, a plea, and she felt compelled to answer.

"I liked it very much, Mort." The arm around her waist tightened as he held her tighter, her back pressing against his chest. She turned around to look him in the eye, and smiled. He smiled back.

"I'm glad." He gave her a quick, loving kiss on the lips and hugged her tightly.

"I have to go now, Mort, but I'll see you again soon, okay?"

"Okay."

He let her go and watched as she slipped out the door and down the hallway towards the front desk.

* * *

_Mort's POV_:

A few minutes after watching Kayla slip away towards her job, Mort checked to be sure that no one had seen her leave. Once he was sure, he, too, slipped out of the closet and down the hallway towards his room, fully intent on capturing the day on paper; it was simply too wonderful not to write down, and he needed to get every detail down as soon as possible.

As he opened his door, he froze. If he wrote it down and people read it, he would be forced to stay here longer because his treatments weren't working. At best, people would think he'd been hallucinating intimate situations about Kayla. Worst case scenario: people would think he'd raped Kayla and had written it down as a 'consensual' thing.

No, Mort knew he had to keep their encounter a secret. He wanted many more secret rendezvous in the future, and in order for that to happen, he had to hide this first one as best he could. He would never let any one or any thing come between him and his beloved, no matter what. From this day forward, Kayla was his in every way possible, for she had allowed him to claim her in the most intimate manner, and that had bound he to him. No one else was going to get his hands on her.

He would die before he let anything like that happen.

* * *

AN: Whew, that was intense, wasn't it? I hoped that people liked it. I could write an NC-17 version, but given how slow the previous ones are taking, it's probably not going to happen; guess you'll just have to use your imaginations, huh? Anyway, please show your support by reviewing! Thanks! 


	11. Evolving Feelings: Rated R

Disclaimer: If I owned Mort, I'd be living with him in his cabin and doing very naughty things with (and to) him…but since I don't, I'm stuck here writing stories about him (_sighs_).

AN: I know that the Kayla-and-Mort encounter was a bit like Amber and Mort in my first fic, but at least it happened when they both felt something for each other, right? Also, I **_don't_** promote/condone drinking or alcohol in this chapter, I'm just saying Kayla's having one because her mind and emotions are a bit wacky and need to be calmed down a bit. Oh, and **this chapter is rated R**. Enjoy!

**Chapter 11: Evolving Feelings**:

_That Night, Kayla's POV_:

'_I can't believe I let that happen_,' she thought to herself, staring out the windows of her apartment.

Kayla took a sip of the frozen margarita she'd made that evening after dinner, and felt like kicking herself. She'd actually had sex with Mort Rainey, and the weird thing was, she didn't feel bad about it. Well, okay, she felt a _little_ bit bad about the whole thing, but it had been so intense that she still couldn't get the encounter out of her head! All she could think about was the peaceful, content look on Mort's face afterwards, and her heart just melted. How could a sweet and caring man be called insane? It didn't make any sense, but at least he was making considerable progress towards 'getting better.'

'_But what if he was intimate with me because of his hallucinations and dreams_?' she thought, clutching her glass tightly with both hands. Horrified at the idea of being used for sex, Kayla took a deep drink of her drink, letting the alcohol numb her nerves so she could think clearly.

It was possible that Mort had had sex with her in an attempt to somehow become closer to his hallucination. But was that what he'd had in mind when he had dragged her into the supply closet that afternoon? Could be, but who knows for sure? For all she knew, Mort _could_ have loving feelings towards her, and she'd never know it because she couldn't tell his real feelings from his attachments to his hallucinations. Was there a way for her to tell the difference? Possibly, once he got better and was released. What depressed her was the chance that he might figure out his feelings for her, and he'd have to choose to either return for her or forget about her completely.

She just didn't know which option was the one she wanted him to choose.

* * *

_Mort's POV_:

It's truly amazing how a person's ceiling can become a constant form of focus for a person. For instance, Mort had been staring at his for over an hour (he could tell from hourly bed-check at night), and his mind was still racing. It's not that he _couldn't_ sleep; it was simply that he didn't _want_ to. Thoughts of Kayla and the sounds she made as he took her in the closet filled his mind, and he wanted to keep those images in his head as long as he could.

'_If only I could have had her here, in my bed_,' he thought, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

Oh, it would have been so magical if he had her beneath his body and under his sheets as he made love to her the way she deserved! Mort mentally scolded himself for not having their first time together in his bed, as it should have been. The closet should have been for a much later time, not their first!

'_Next time will be better_,' he thought, smiling to himself. '_Kayla deserves better, and I'll make sure she gets it_!'

Sighing, Mort finally drifted off to sleep, images of Kayla in his arms going through his head.

* * *

_Kayla's POV_:

Kayla sat in her chair, her head still spinning slightly from the previous day's events. Actually, she was still sort of hung over from the three frozen strawberry margaritas she'd had the night before, but she liked to think that she was pondering the 'closet incident' with Mort. Either way, her head felt like it had been spun around a dozen times before allowing itself to settle in its correct position on top of her neck.

Sighing, Kayla tried to focus on the pile of paperwork in front of her, but couldn't seem to see the papers. All she saw were a pair of intense brown eyes staring into hers right before a pair of hot lips descended on her. She could swear on a stack of Bibles that she felt Mort's hands on her body, his mouth on her neck, trailing upwards towards her face. She let out a small groan before a tapping sound snapped her out of her daze. Looking around, she spotted Mort right outside the sliding window. Smiling in spite of herself, she rolled her chair over to open it.

"Hi, Mort," she said, giving him a happy smile.

Mort grinned back as he slipped a sheet of paper through the window. "Read this and then destroy it," he whispered through the small opening. She barely had time to pick up the paper before he quickly walked off down the hall.

Kayla couldn't help but stare after him in confusion. Mort had never asked her to destroy a piece of his work before, so this was a new thing. Shrugging her shoulders, she opened the note and read the message inside.

_Kayla,_

_Meet me in the storage room in the East Wing after your lunch break._

_Mort_

Kayla stared at the piece of paper before slipping it into the shredder. She knew exactly what Mort wanted, and was unsure about being able to give it to him. After all, what woman wouldn't want to be intimate with a sexy man like Mort Rainey? True, she'd had sex with him in the closet once, but perhaps she'd been too forward with him. Maybe now would be a good time for her to stop this from going any further before things turned bad.

Nodding to herself, Kayla looked at her watch and saw that it was lunchtime. She had an hour before she had to meet Mort, and she silently prayed that she would be able to think of something kind to say to him by the time they met.

* * *

_That Afternoon, Author's POV_**: Rated R**:

Slipping into the storage room, Kayla looked around and saw nothing. Inwardly sighing, she closed her eyes to mentally go over the mini-speech she had prepared five minutes ago. She was scared out of her wits when a strong hand slid around her waist, another quickly clamped over her mouth to silence the small yelp that escaped her mouth. She let out a small squeak of fear as a pair of lips kissed her neck.

"I missed you," a velvet-silk male voice whispered to her, his hand sliding from her mouth and down her neck.

"Mort," Kayla gasped, feeling his hand stroke her breasts, the heat from his palm seeping through the fabric of her top. She tried to keep her speech in mind as she licked her suddenly dry lips. "Mort, we really shouldn't…" She groaned as his hands began a slow rubbing motion all over her breasts and stomach.

"Quiet, sweetheart," he said, gently nipping her neck. "You don't want anyone to hear us, now, do you?"

Kayla could only groan in reply as his hands slid under her dress and began sliding the material upwards. His hands were amazingly soft and gentle, moving in tiny circles along her skin as he moved them up her body. _How_ had she not noticed how wonderful his hands felt when he touched her? Probably because she was too busy enjoying the feel of his lips on hers…

She snapped out of her daze when she felt him move her forwards, her knees suddenly hitting something large and soft. Looking around, she saw it was a spare cot, the type used when bad storms trapped visitors here for the night. Apparently Mort had thought of everything for this little encounter. Kayla soon felt him lift her up in his arms before gently laying her down on the cot.

"I wanted this time to be done right," he whispered as his mouth descended on hers.

Kayla could only make a noise of agreement, as her lips were preoccupied with responding to Mort's gentle, yet passionate, kiss. She quickly lost all coherent thought as he began unzipping her dress, the fingertips of one hand sliding up and down her spine as the other slowly pulled the garment down off of her. Kayla gave a small sigh when his lips left hers for a brief moment, only to kiss their way down her body, stopping at her stomach before drifting back up, her dress lying forgotten on the floor along with her shoes and stockings.

"Mort," she whispered, right before his lips pressed against hers once more, enjoying the feel of his facial hair against her cheeks.

Mort simply smiled as his hands quickly unsnapped her bra, tossing it aside before removing her panties. He froze for a moment, staring at the beauty of the angel in front of him before coming back and removing his own clothes, his body quickly covering hers. Mort let out a sigh as skin rubbed together, wrapping them both in an indescribable shell of warmth and love. Letting out another contented sigh, Mort pressed inside of her.

Kayla gave a small whimper of pain as he thrust into her body, but soon her sounds of pain became those of pleasure. It was only the second time they'd been together like this, and yet it seemed that they had done it a thousand times before. Feeling Mort move inside her was unbelievable, and she knew that she wanted more than what he was giving her. Tilting her hips upwards, she gave him the signal he'd been praying for since the moment he'd met her.

Thrusting hard and fast, Mort began to take her as he'd never taken a woman before, pouring all of his passion and love into this one act. He needed to bury himself in her, to make her his forever, and this was the only way. Moving his hips faster, Mort began to grunt and groan, sounding like an animal as he possessed the woman beneath him.

Kayla cried out as Mort gave one particular thrust before his lips fell on hers, preventing anyone from hearing their activities. Their bodies continued to move in an intensely fast pace before she came, hard, screaming into his mouth. Mort followed immediately after, grunting as he continued to thrust into her, his body dripping sweat as he gladly released himself inside her.

Gasping, the two lay on the cot, caressing each other while trying to regain their breath and strength.

* * *

_Kayla's POV_:

Kayla laid her head on Mort's shoulder as his hand drifted up and down her back, trying to catch her breath. The speech she had prepared still hadn't returned to her, but she knew that these little rendezvous couldn't continue, not if she wanted to keep working here and not if Mort were to be given the chance to get better. This was important, and she really needed to talk to him about this.

"Mort?" she whispered, trying to gather her courage to talk to him.

"Hmm?" He sounded tired as he gently trailed his fingers up her arm to caress her hair.

"I need to talk to you about something." She took a deep breath and was about to speak before Mort interrupted her thoughts.

"I know what you want to talk about, Kayla," he said, wrapping both arms around her body, gripping her tightly to him. "I know what you're thinking about, like what will happen to your job and to me and my treatments, and I will say this." He turned her head so that his eyes met hers. "I'm saying that there's no way I'm going to let you go, not when I've found you and held you in my arms like the wonderfully divine woman you are."

He then leaned forward and kissed her, just like a husband would kiss the woman he called the love of his life and his soulmate, and she couldn't resist melting into him. It felt so warm and safe that she never wanted the moment to end…but of course, it had to. She knew there would be people looking for them before too long, and Mort had an appointment to keep. She reluctantly pulled back from the kiss.

"I'd better go," she said, reaching up and stroking his face as she reached for her clothes.

Mort gently took her hand in his. "Don't worry, Kayla," he said, softly smiling up at her. "I promise to get better and get out of here to romance you properly before anyone here finds out. Your job will be safe, I promise you."

Kayla couldn't stop the smile that quirked the corners of her mouth. "Thank you, Mort," she said, letting the smile progress into a full grin. This man had to be the most considerate man on the planet to care about her, and to do so much on her behalf and for her own good. It was almost like he was perfect. "But it's not just me I worry about…I worry about you, too."

She then leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips as she slipped on her clothes and shoes before leaving.

* * *

_Mort's POV_:

Mort leaned back on the cot and sighed. He knew that Kayla worried about what would happen should the staff members and doctors find out about their relationship. What touched his heart was that her fears were not only for her and her job, but also for him and his ability to get better so he could be released. She didn't want him to be stuck here forever, and he certainly didn't want to be here any longer than he had to. It was indeed risky trying to woo her while he was still here at the hospital, but Mort knew that (given the chance) his rival, Alex, would gladly step in and attempt to take Kayla from him. Mort also knew that should never be allowed to happen.

Mort's jaw tightened as his hands clutched the sheets around him. Alex will never take her away from him. '_I **will** get better and I'll take Kayla away from here_,' he swore. '_I've got a dozen ideas to make into stories, and I could make a good life for the two of us_.' Mort smiled. '_We could be happy together_.'

For now, though, he had to get up. He had an appointment with Dr. Vincent, and he couldn't be late. Even though the meeting wasn't for another hour, Mort still had to get his head together after this wondrous encounter with Kayla. Last time, his head had been in the clouds for much of the session, and Mort had barely escaped any sort of suspicion because Dr. Vincent thought that maybe his medication was affecting him a bit much. Now Mort was on a specific amount of pills, and no longer needed to be watched while he took them. This time, however, he needed to be careful and not appear so distracted during his sessions with Dr. Vincent.

Sighing, Mort stood up and collected his clothes, putting them on as he tried to put aside all thoughts of Kayla and him lying together in bed in each other's arms. Instead, he tried to focus on how to answer Dr. Vincent's questions without appearing 'out of it.' If it appeared that the medication had been the cause of his previous problems, it would turn out for the best for everyone, Mort especially. If he went in and looked like he was still high on drugs that he wasn't taking, he would most definitely be monitored closely to discover why he was acting strangely, and he did _not_ want that to happen.

Carefully arranging his robe, Mort carefully looked around the room. He had to clean up the mess they had made on the cot, or else someone would know something was going on. Mort quickly removed the sheets, stuffing them into the laundry shoot as he began looking for the stack of clean linens. Spotting what he needed, he re-made the cot in record time, making it look as though no one had been in it. Proud of his achievement, Mort went to the door and peeked out. Spotting no one, he slipped out, slowly and carefully closing the door behind him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Mort whirled around and felt his blood boil. It was Alex, and he looked happy to find Mort doing something against the rules of the hospital…in this case: appearing to attempt to steal from the storage closet. Mort knew that he had to think of something fast before he was punished with time alone locked in his room for a day…or even worse, with more time in the institution! Letting his writers' creativity work, he put on a small ashamed smile and looked Alex right in the eye.

"I was trying to find another pillow," he said, using his best acting skills. "Mine's kind of lumpy and I wanted a new one."

Alex frowned, apparently unhappy with Mort's passable lie. "You need to ask the staff about that, not do it yourself," he snapped, crossing his arms.

"I didn't want to bother them, they're all so busy helping out everyone else." Mort tried to look ashamed and, from the look on Alex's face, apparently succeeded.

"Don't give me that kind of crap, _Mr. Rainey_," Alex growled, his hands clenching at this side. "You're up to something, so don't act so innocent."

Before he could blink, Mort found himself pinned against the wall, Alex's face an inch from his, and for the first time since Shooter appeared and vanished, Mort felt afraid and extremely angry. The last thing he needed was an orderly with a grudge against him, especially when this particular orderly wanted the woman he loved! Trying his best to keep his anger at bay, Mort opened his mouth to defend himself, but was unable to get a word out before a savior appeared next to them.

"Alex, what the hell do you think you're doing!" cried a female voice they both recognized.

Nurse Holly had appeared, and Mort was never so happy to see a nurse and staff member in his life. He really didn't want to hurt anyone, especially when he was doing so well with all of his treatments and with Kayla, but if Alex seriously meant to do some sort of harm to him, then Mort _would_ answer in whatever manner he saw fit…even if it meant using violence.

"Alex, why the hell do you have Mr. Rainey pressed against the wall?" Nurse Holly growled at the orderly. "I saw you from down the hall, and I know that he didn't provoke you into anything, so don't give me any sort of crap about that." She crossed her arms and waited for an answer.

Mort looked up and could see the wheels turning in Alex's head as he frantically tried to think of a believable answer, but appeared unable to grasp one. Slowly, the tight grip on Mort's clothing vanished, and he was free.

"Now, what happened, Mr. Rainey?" asked Nurse Holly, using the calm voice she applied so such stressful situations like this.

"I wanted a new pillow for my bed because my old one felt lumpy," Mort said, once again using his shy and ashamed look. "I know I should have asked for one, Nurse Holly, but you're always so busy, so I thought I could get one myself." He looked at his feet. "I'm sorry."

"Its okay, Mr. Rainey," Nurse Holly said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Next time, just ask and we'll get one for you, okay?"

"Oh, my God, you can't really believe his story!" Alex said disbelievingly. "I mean, the man is obviously lying!"

Nurse Holly turned and looked at him. "We have no proof of that, and it has been a while since we've changed the pillows in the wing Mr. Rainey is in," she said, glaring at him. "I'll talk with the head nurse about that, and you, Alex, are going to have a small smear on your permanent record for assaulting a patient without cause." She then turned towards Mort. "I think you're supposed to be with Dr. Vincent?"

Mort nodded and walked off, leaving the two staff members behind him. He risked a slight glance back and saw Alex frantically arguing with Nurse Holly. Before he could turn his head back around, he saw Alex give him the most evil death-glare over the nurse's shoulder. Not giving any sort of acknowledging look in return, Mort turned back around and headed down the hallway.

That was close, too close for Mort's comfort. Hopefully Alex won't try anything like that again, but he had a feeling that the orderly would try some sort of revenge on him for this.

Sighing, Mort walked to Dr. Vincent's office and opened the door to go inside.

* * *

AN: Another day, another chapter…yay! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and will leave a review. 


	12. Unwanted Disruptions in Life

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort/Johnny Depp or their sexy bodies…though I wish I did!

AN: Okay, **this is important**: I'm going on vacation from July 2-10, and won't be updating until I get back, so this chapter will have to keep you busy until I get back and finish chapter 13. Oh, and thanks to the person that said my story rocks and that I'm one of the "_best writers on the effing planet_." I really appreciate it! Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 12: Unwanted Disruptions in Life**:

_A Week Later: Kayla's POV_:

"Kayla, would you please talk to me?" Alex pleaded, trying to talk to her through the small window in the reception desk shielding. "It's been almost a week; how long do you plan on ignoring and avoiding me?"

Kayla refused to dignify him with an answer. It may have been nearly a week, but she was still fuming over the fact that Alex had tried to get Mort into trouble. However, the last straw was when he attempted to beat up Mort in the hallway; Kayla didn't think she could handle being around a man who tried to hurt innocent patients. In the end, the patients were at a disadvantage here at the hospital; if something went wrong and the choice was believe a patient or a staff member, it was usually the patient who got in trouble unless it could be proven that they were innocent.

'_Mort was just lucky that Holly was there_,' she thought, especially grateful that her friend had been there when it counted.

That same afternoon, after the confrontation between Alex and Mort, Holly had tracked down Kayla in an attempt to tell her what had happened. Kayla had been terrified that something had happened to Mort, and was extremely relieved when Holly told her that Mort was fine, and that Alex would get a mark on his record for harassing a patient. During the days that followed, Kayla did everything in her power to avoid talking to Alex, and it was apparently driving the man crazy.

'_Well, too bad for him_,' she thought, barely keeping back an angry growl. '_That's what he gets for trying to hurt Mort_!'

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Kayla could feel herself falling for the handsome author. Since their little "encounters" a week ago, the two of them had secretly stolen kisses and caresses in hidden parts of the hospital. It was amazing to her that a man as sweet, caring, and yes, _sexy_, would want a girl like her, but it made her happy at the same time.

'_My first boyfriend and he's a mental patient_,' she thought, inwardly shaking her head. '_It would figure_.'

Meanwhile, Alex was still talking. "Please Kayla, say something!" he begged. "Anything!"

Kayla sighed. '_Sometimes I hate being such a nice person_.' Out loud she said, "Okay, Alex, what is it?"

"Finally!" the tall orderly said, looking relieved. "Please tell me you aren't mad at me, Kayla."

"Alex, you attacked an innocent and defenseless man!" she said, glaring at him. "What do you want me to say? 'Hey Alex, great job on attacking and scaring the hell out of Mr. Rainey, I'm proud of you?'"

"But I saw him try to go into the storage room! For all I knew, he was trying to steal supplies!"

"And what, exactly, would a mentally impaired man do with those stolen supplies?" she growled at him. "For heaven's sakes, Alex, we're in a mental institution! The patients can't even get off the grounds without someone knowing! What's he going to do, set up an imaginary computer and to try and sell it on eBay?"

Alex opened his mouth for a moment before closing it again. He looked remarkably like a fish, but Kayla was through speaking with him. Instead, she slid the little window shut and went back to work, her mind focusing on Mort and where he was at that moment in time.

* * *

_Mort's POV_:

"You've been making remarkable progress in your treatments, Mr. Rainey," Dr. Vincent said, closing the manila folder in front of him. "We, meaning the entire staff, are all very proud of you."

"Thank you, sir," Mort softly replied. He really didn't know how to respond to praise (if it wasn't coming from Kayla), so he just said whatever came to mind.

"With any luck, you should be out of here within a couple of weeks."

Mort stared at the man behind the desk. "A couple weeks?" he gasped. Could it be possible?

Dr. Vincent grinned. "No, I'm not fooling around with you, Mr. Rainey," he said. "We have every intention on helping you get back to the outside world as soon as possible."

"Thank you, doctor," Mort said, not knowing what else to say.

He let out a huge sigh of relief as a nurse came up and put her hand on his shoulder, signaling the end of the session. Standing up, he nodded at Dr. Vincent and received a nod in return as he was escorted back to his room. Stopping near the doors that led from his wing towards the reception area, Mort caught a glimpse of Kayla behind the desk, chewing on a pen cap as she worked her way through a pile of papers. Tearing his eyes away from the quaint sight, Mort realized that the nurse had left him in the dust. Scrambling to catch up, Mort tapped the woman on the shoulder.

"Um, could I go and catch some sun by the windows?" he asked, suddenly eager to get some sun on him…and possibly get a tan to celebrate his upcoming release.

The nurse smiled. "Of course, Mr. Rainey," she said, patting him on the shoulder. "Go ahead, and try to take a walk, too. You need your exercise."

Mort eagerly nodded before racing off towards the reception area.

* * *

_Alex's POV_:

Alex could feel anger and hate flood his mind and body as he stood, watching Mort Rainey run up to the front desk and happily chat with Kayla. Seeing the two look so blissful together was utter torture for him, and he couldn't understand why she would chat with Mort rather than with _him_. Sure, he might have overstepped a little when he spotted the mentally disturbed author going into the closet, but that didn't excuse Kayla not talking to him for over a week. After all, he was only doing his job!

'_Besides, what does Mort Rainey have that **I**__don't_?' Alex thought angrily, watching Kayla laugh at something the blond author said.

Carefully observing the two, he noticed that Mort was more than just happy to see Kayla …it was as though he were flirting with her! No, that couldn't be right; after all, patients and staff members were forbidden from having "relationships" of any kind. Still, there appeared to be some sort of familiarity between the two, and Alex was determined to find out what it was. Clenching his fists, Alex went to the cafeteria to get something to calm him down. He'd have to see what Mr. Rainey was up to.

* * *

_Early That Afternoon, Author's POV_:

"Really, we shouldn't -" a small gasp interrupted the weak protest. A moan of pleasure quickly followed.

"Shh, darling, you're going to attract attention," whispered a man's voice.

"I can't help it, especially when you do _that_," a female voice frantically whispered back, her voice thick with pleasure.

Standing outside the door, Alex recognized the male voice, and knew that the staff frowned upon 'intimate relations' of any kind within the hospital. He then knew that he had enough on Mort Rainey to keep him locked up here for a very long time. He didn't care about the female; Mort was who he wanted out of his life, and this was too good of an opportunity to pass up!

* * *

_Late Afternoon: Kayla's POV_:

As she carefully worked her way through the enormous pile of paperwork, Kayla couldn't help but notice a group of orderlies escorting Mort down the hall towards Dr. Vincent's office. Since it wasn't a treatment day, there should be no reason for him to visit the doctor…unless something really bad or really good was about to happen. Panicking slightly, Kayla decided to follow them and see what was going on.

As she reached the doorway of Dr. Vincent's office, she noticed that the door was closed. Leaning her head against the wood, Kayla was surprised to discover that the wood prevented any sound from getting through. Sighing, Kayla slipped into the room next door, which was a sort of closet that could be accessed from both the hallway and Dr. Vincent's office. Silently sliding close to the door leading to the office of the chief-of-staff, Kayla pressed her ear against the much-thinner wood and listened in.

"Mr. Rainey, I have to tell you that I am very disappointed in you," Dr. Vincent said, sounding like a father disappointed by a promising child.

"I don't understand, sir," Mort replied, his voice soft and somewhat confused. Kayla found herself smiling at the sound of his voice.

"One of the staff members, who shall remain anonymous, heard you having an intimate encounter with someone from the hospital," Dr. Vincent replied bluntly, sounding upset. "As you know, such encounters between patients or patients and staff members are against hospital rules."

Kayla stifled a gasp, her hands clasping over her mouth. They'd found out about the two of them, and now Mort was going to get in trouble for it! Oh, god, what was she going to do? She couldn't let Mort take all of the blame for this; it was also her fault for letting it go this far! Kayla knew that she had to help him, but didn't know how. If she barged in, she'd be fired and Mort would _still_ be in trouble. If she didn't, Mort was in trouble and her job was safe. What would Mort want her to do? He'd want her safely here in the closet and not say anything because he wanted to protect her. He'd want her to stay and work at the hospital while they put him through more treatments, like a dog through hoops!

'_If I stay in here and not say anything, I'll keep my job and still see him around the hospital. We'd still be here together, but we'd also be so far apart_,' she thought, her heart clenching at the idea.

"Of course, you'll have to be punished for this action, Mr. Rainey," sighed Dr. Vincent. "Which is a shame, considering the amazing progress you've made so far."

"And what, exactly, is my punishment?" Mort asked, slowly.

"I'm afraid we'll have to keep you isolated from all staff member and patients for a while," Dr. Vincent replied. "We'll have to change your medication a bit, and there will be no more visitations or treatment sessions with Kayla for at least a month. You'll have to make do with talking with Nurse Holly during that time period."

Kayla couldn't take it anymore. She quietly raced out into the hallway and stared at the door, right before a cry of anguish filled the air.

"NO!" yelled Mort, his voice going through the door and into the hall, straight into Kayla's ears. "You can't take her from me! She's the only thing that makes me better! You can't separate us like this!"

The orderlies quickly and quietly dragged Mort out of the office, Dr. Vincent following close behind. Several nurses approached from down the hall, all with concerned looks on their faces; one had a needle in her hand, the syringe loaded with a clear liquid. They were going to drug Mort, and there was nothing she could do about it! Kayla felt a protesting cry swell up in her throat, but the urge to cry blocked it. Helpless, she watched the staff restrain Mort and sedate him.

Right before he passed out, Mort's eyes met hers, immense love sparkling in them before his eyelids slipped shut. Stunned and speechless, Kayla went back to her filing duties.

* * *

_That Night, Kayla's POV_:

Sitting in her chair by the window, Kayla watched the cars on the street drive by, the lights steadily moving past as people sped to where they needed to be. She was still shocked at what had happened that day at the hospital. Holly had told her the details of what had happened after they had taken Mort to the isolation wing of the hospital.

Apparently, after they had strapped him down, a piece of paper had fallen out of his pocket, describing his love for someone at the hospital, but giving no name or description to this woman he cared about. This note only proved to further the accusations brought up by a member of the staff, and they would now have to treat him (and most likely, punish him) for the affection Mort had for this particular woman. Kayla had pressed for details from the note, and was glad she had done so.

Apparently Mort had intended to give this to her, telling her that he loved her and that, should they be discovered, he would gladly take the blame and whatever punishment came his way. However (the note said), if he were to be forced apart from her, he swore that he'd go mad, for his love for her was great and he could not live without her.

Kayla, who had been on the verge of telling Holly that it had been her that Mort was in love with, was forced to keep silent not say anything further on the matter. Instead, she kept her mouth shut and prayed that the doctors and nurses would go easy on him and not punish him too severely. After all, what was the harm in finding love in a most unexpected place like the mental institution?

Still, the rules were the rules, and if Mort had declared or decided that he would take the blame, what could she do about it? If Kayla came forward and confessed, she'd be fired, and Mort would get in trouble. If she didn't come forward, Mort would still be in trouble, but at least they would get the chance to see one another in passing…probably. They might get a chance to look at one another, to look into each other's eyes for a brief second before being separated once more, but that would be all. It would be torture, being so close yet so far away from one another.

Burying her face in her hands, Kayla did her best not to cry. "How could this have happened?" she gasped, blinking back tears. "Things were going so well…if only we had been more careful about meeting…if only we had hid in better spots…if only…"

But you could only get so far with 'if only.' Realistically, it had been stupid to progress their affections for one another to such a level that they would have to sneak around just to kiss and touch one another without having the orderlies descend on them. It had been stupid for her to have allowed the mentally disturbed author into her heart like that before he was cured and treated for his obsession and feelings for her.

But the question was: would she have traded all of what the two of them had shared over the past few weeks?

"No," Kayla stated to thin air. "No, I wouldn't trade all of our encounters for anything."

But what could she do about it now? Mort was locked up in the isolation ward, and she was not allowed in that part of the hospital. Holly had told her (quiet politely) that she wasn't capable of dealing with such patients, and there was no way for them to protect her like the plastic shielding that surrounded the front desk. Therefore, there was no way she was going to be able to see Mort unless his orderly/bodyguard escorted him to and from his treatment sessions with Holly and Dr. Vincent. And as if that weren't heartbreaking enough, it would probably be months (or even years) before he was set free!

Tears streamed down Kayla's cheeks. Could she really survive spending all of that time away from Mort, her sweet, kind, caring, and extremely affectionate Mort? Could she live out that time, knowing that they'd only get to glance at each other from a distance? She doubted it. After experiencing such intense feelings from him and from her own heart, Kayla knew that there was no way she was going to be able to survive with only subtle looks and glances in the hallway. There had to be some way out of this, but she couldn't think of any.

'_Maybe you should start looking for whoever planted the idea of Mort having a relationship with someone at the hospital_,' murmured a voice in her head, the little voice that always tells a person to look at things logically and to not wallow in self-pity.

Kayla's head snapped up, her tears stopping their flow down her cheeks. Of course! She had to find out who had heard them in the first place! Why didn't she think of that before? The closet that she and Mort had been hiding in was extremely out of the way, in a far corner of the hospital that no one had the chance to walk by unless they were _specifically_ in that area and needed something important from that particular supply closet. The patients never went back there, and the staff members rarely went that way, so how did a person happen to be there at that time?

'_**Someone** must have been following one or both of us_,' she thought, both angry and thoughtful. '_It's the only way they could have known about our meeting in there_.'

That morning, when Mort had approached her earlier, no one had been around to hear their conversation, much less learn about them meeting together. Therefore, someone had to have been watching them talk and had followed them after their chat was over. Someone at the hospital had either known something was up between the two of them or…

"Or someone _really_ doesn't like the idea of Mort and I getting together," Kayla said, looking out the window again. "The question is _who_?"

There were several suspects, including Dr. Vincent, who constantly worried about Mort's obsession with her. Holly was another, though she didn't seem the type to 'rat out' her friend and the patient she liked helping the most. There were also several nurses that didn't like Kayla for some reason, and then there was Alex. There were too many people for her liking, but at least it was a start. She'd have to get started on narrowing down the list as soon as possible.

'_Tomorrow, though_,' she thought, yawning. '_Tomorrow, things will start making more sense_.'

Stepping away from the window, Kayla slowly made her way to bed.

* * *

_Same Night: Mort's POV_:

Strapped down on his bed in the isolation ward, Mort did everything he could to not spit out curses that could label him as even more insane than they already thought. He was furious that someone had dared to interfere in his relationship with Kayla, furious that a person was going to get away with ruining his life and that of the woman he loved, and furious that the two of them were being forced apart just when things were starting to progress the way he wanted them to.

'_They won't get away with this_,' he thought, baring his teeth in a silent growl. '_I'll find them and they will pay for ruining our happiness_!'

It wasn't fair; he and Kayla had only just begun to truly explore their feelings for each other, and then some idiot from the hospital had to hear them in the closet together…

'_Why can't people leave us alone_?' Mort thought, fully collapsing onto the bed, all the fight suddenly draining out of him. '_Kayla was just beginning to truly love and care about me, and now it's been ruined_.'

Would she ever feel that way about him after this incident? The thought of Kayla's feelings for him fading away to nothing made his heart ache. Closing his eyes, Mort tried not to think of Kayla possibly rejecting him after this, but the idea kept popping up in his head.

'_But she loves you_,' whispered a small, hope-filled voice in his head. '_She let you make love to her and touch her like a lover would; she returned every one of your touches with her own_.'

Mort smiled. So she loved him…but would she still love him after this? Sighing, Mort drifted off to sleep.

* * *

AN: Aw, poor Mort and Kayla. But don't worry, I promise happy endings in _all_ my stories. _Review_! 


	13. Delving Deeper Into Things

Disclaimer: I don't own Mort Rainey, 3 Doors Down, or their song, _Here Without You_.

AN: I'm back! And I'm sad to say that this story is coming to an end in a few chapters. Once it's over, you can find me in the **_Pirates of the Caribbean_** section of the site. For those who don't like (or have never seen) **_Pirates_**, please consider this: if you like Johnny Depp, I _highly_ recommend it and ask you to give it a chance. Johnny is hilarious and wonderfully talented in this film (he got nominated for an Oscar for his role!), so please just give it a try. Thanks, and enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 13: Delving Deeper Into Things**:

_The Next Day: Kayla's POV_:

Detective work is a _lot_ harder than people think. It's not exactly like the crime-drama shows on television, where they manage to solve the crime in less than an hour (and sometimes get confessions while they're at it). They even manage to occasionally catch the culprit in the act of hiding their tracks, _and_ find a _huge_ pile of evidence so that they can get an innocent person out of jail.

'_Plus they have a badge they can flash in order to scare people into talking_,' Kayla thought, sighing as she put her head in her hands.

However, in this case, a badge would utterly useless, considering the now-widely known doctor-patient confidentiality and all that legal jazz. Kayla had managed to learn that much from the shows, and the legality of being anonymous when reporting something to the upper staff members. It was so frustrating! She didn't even have the authority to get into the papers containing the allegations against Mort! It was times like this that made her want to scream her frustrations and burst into tears, all at the same time.

'_But I have to stay strong_,' she thought, taking a deep breath to calm her shot nerves and to prevent tears from falling in front of the other staff members. '_I have to stay strong so that I can help get Mort out of this_.'

First, she had to find a way to get people to talk about Mort and how he was doing. Second, she had to find out (through the grapevine) who had caused all of this misery for her and Mort. Third…she had to prove that all of this was a pointless attempt to punish an innocent man.

'_This is going to be harder than I thought_,' Kayla groaned to herself as she reached for the next document she had to organize. '_I only hope that Mort is alright_.'

* * *

_That Same Moment: Mort's POV_:

'_If I have to stay in this room any longer, I'm going to go even crazier than they originally thought I was_,' Mort thought, pacing inside his room.

It was currently his fifteenth lap, going back and forth, and he'd only been awake for ten minutes. They'd taken away all of his written documents, his writing tools, and any sort of object that could possibly keep him amused while he was here in the isolation wing of the hospital.

'_Which is absurd, if you really think about it_,' Mort thought to himself, rolling his eyes. '_I mean, I'm supposedly accused of having an affair with a patient or staff member, not under suspicion of suicide or anything_!'

It was damn frustrating, having absolutely nothing to do. The orderlies had been ordered to not let him out of his room, and none of the nurses had come by yet to check on him, which was odd enough on its own. After all, Mort wasn't under isolation for harming anyone, so there was no reason for everyone to avoid talking to him for any sort of reason.

'_They probably think I'm going to rape them or something_,' Mort thought, grimacing at the notion. '_Which is a horribly disgusting idea, in and of itself. I mean, I've always treated the nurses with respect, even they know that_!'

It was that last thought that hurt the most. The nurses had always been so kind and understanding to him, and now they were avoiding him like a plague. It hurt almost as much as being separated from Kayla! Oh, God, how he missed Kayla…he wanted her there to comfort him, hold him, and tell him things would be alright. However, Nurse Holly and some other nurses had found that damn piece of paper in his pocket, the one he had meant to give to Kayla in private the first chance he got.

He groaned; the discovery of that note was both a blessing and a curse. In it he had told Kayla of his love for her, and assured her that he would take the blame for their encounters. Mort had gone on to state that, whatever punishments were given out to him, he only prayed that they would not separate him from her; if he were, he would truly go mad, for she was his life and he could not live without her by his side. He had wanted to give it to Kayla the day they had put him in here, but had obviously not gotten the chance.

'_I can only hope that someone mentions it and its contents to her_,' Mort silently prayed, closing his eyes for a brief moment. '_I hope that she somehow hears of it…after all, the nurses here are some of the biggest gossipers I've ever known_.'

Sighing, he lay down and began humming the first song that came into his head, which was 3 Doors Down, _Here Without You_. It mentioned the male singer being without his ladylove, but he still held her in his dreams. Mort softly sang out loud.

"I'm here without you, baby, but you still roam my lonely mind. I think about you, baby, and I dream about you all the time. I'm here without you, baby. But you're still with me in my dreams. And tonight, girl, it's only you and me."

Drifting back to sleep, Mort heard faint footsteps retreating from his doorway.

* * *

_Lunchtime: Kayla's POV_:

Picking at her salad, Kayla couldn't help but notice how boring her day was without Mort slipping her notes and winking at her as he passed by the reception area. She had thought him annoying at first, but now…now she truly missed him.

"You really don't know what you've got until it's gone," she muttered to herself, stabbing at a tomato slice and dipping it in the ranch dressing at the bottom of the bowl.

Giving the defenseless tidbit one last stab-and-dip, she put the food in her mouth and chewed, barely tasting it. Even lunch was boring without looking forward to seeing Mort sometime in the afternoon for a secret rendezvous in a closet somewhere. Sighing, Kayla slowly worked her way through the salad and somehow managed to clean the bowl of food without even realizing it. Once she realized that her bowl was empty, she stood up and put the tray on the conveyor belt that crawled towards the kitchen. When that was done, she headed back towards her desk for another long bout of boredom. She had barely passed through the double doors when she heard someone call her.

"Kayla! Wait, Kayla!" called a voice from behind her.

It was Alex…great, just great. She kept walking. Honestly, this day couldn't possibly get any worse. Well, technically, that wasn't true; it _could_ get worse, but the last thing she needed right now was to talk to someone she didn't particularly like at this moment.

"Come on, Kayla, I just want to talk to you," Alex pleaded, catching up with her.

'_Oh, well, might as well get this over with_,' she inwardly groaned. Stopping by the entry door to the reception area, she turned around to face him. Out loud, she said, "What do you want, Alex?"

"I just wanted to see if you were alright," he said, brown eyes looking down into hers.

It surprised her that he looked like he actually cared about her wellbeing. It shouldn't have, considering that he'd been asking her out constantly for weeks, but the thought that he might _care_ about how she both shocked her and caused her to doubt his concern. For one thing, he might be putting on a sympathy show just to score points with her, and she definitely wouldn't put _that_ past him. Still, she knew she had to answer him before he started looking at her oddly.

"I'm fine, Alex, really," Kayla replied, crossing her arms. "I've just had a really rough couple days, that's all."

"Because of Mort Rainey, right?" Alex asked, his voice turning bitter.

"How did you know?" Kayla found herself surprised by the harshness in Alex's words.

"It's obvious you've been in a funk since he was put in isolation," Alex replied, crossing his arms and biting his lip in apparent frustration. "You can't tell me that you care about the guy, can you?"

Kayla could feel anger bubbling up inside of her. "Of course I care about him!" she snapped. "After all, I've been helping Mort with his treatments for the past month and a half, so of course I would care about him! Who wouldn't care about someone after spending so much time treating them and talking with them about their problems?"

"And that's the problem!" Alex cried. "You spend too much time with that guy! You shouldn't become attached to patients, Kayla; it's not what we do. We help them, treat them, and then release them. We don't get too close to them because attachments like that are dangerous and harmful to both the staff member and the patient!"

She couldn't help but gape. Had she become too close to Mort? Could their relationship be harmful to him and to his mental health? But how could something like what they shared together be so terrible when it felt so right and beautiful? Their sessions together had helped Mort become like any other man, and they had made him better, so their relationship couldn't be bad…could it? No, Kayla didn't believe that something so wonderful like unexpected love could be dangerous to anyone. She shook her head.

"Maybe it's time to change that idea, Alex, because I think it's wrong," she said, looking him straight in the eye. "How can we expect to help people when we don't form friendships or emotional connections with them? It doesn't make sense because having a connection with them makes us want to help them even more than we originally did." Kayla's eyes bore into his. "And it makes _all_ of us better people than we were before."

With that said, she turned and entered the reception area, leaving Alex to stare after her before he turned and walked away down the hall.

* * *

_That Afternoon, Mort's POV_:

'_This has to be the longest day of my life_,' Mort thought to himself as he stared up at the ceiling.

At least the nurses had come in and given him some paper and pens so he could write. They had even smiled when they had come in, albeit a bit hesitantly. The orderlies, however, were still outside, immobile statues that probably wouldn't even let his sneeze escape out the door. His meals had been brought to him, and it had all been dull and lifeless without the afternoon treatment sessions that had Kayla's beautiful presence in his future.

Instead, he had Nurse Holly to talk to, and there was nothing he wanted to talk to _her_ about. Not that he had anything against Nurse Holly; it's just that he wanted to have time alone with Kayla to talk about anything and everything. Talking to Nurse Holly was like…well, talking to a very distant acquaintance. After all, who wants to tell a stranger every personal thing about themselves while staying in a mental hospital? No one, that's who, and Mort very much wanted this torment to be over.

"Okay, Mr. Rainey, it's time for your treatment session."

Groaning, Mort stood up and followed the orderly out the door.

* * *

_Two Weeks Later: After Work-Hours Staff Meeting: Author's POV_:

"I'm very worried about the mental stability of Mr. Rainey," quipped Holly as the staff members settled into their seats around the table. "He's very withdrawn and refuses to interact with me during his treatment sessions. It's like he's a shell of his former self."

"He doesn't seem interested in his normal activities, either," Frank said, leaning back in his chair. "Ever since you let him have some time outside of the isolation ward, he's been sitting in his room, staring at the ceiling. I'm starting to seriously worry about the guy."

The entire staff looked at the chief orderly, suddenly going silent as they pondered his words. He didn't worry about patients very much, and whenever he was concerned about the health of one of them, the rest of the staff listened because he was usually right. If Frank was concerned about Mr. Rainey's health, they knew there was something they needed to do about it…the problem was that they didn't know what.

Dr. Vincent cleared his throat. "I know that this looks bad, but we need to remember that this man has broken hospital rules by intimately interacting with someone from the institution," he said, looking each nurse and orderly in the eye. "Isolation was a means of trying to discover the identity of her lover, and had proven nothing. Separation from Kayla was to prevent him from acting out his sexual aggression after being separated from his 'partner,' and apparently that worked to a certain point."

"_Worked to a certain point_?" Holly asked in disbelief. "The man is a total wreck of what he had been before all this happened!"

"I'm sure he'll be alright once his punishments have been lifted, Holly," Alex snapped, wanting to end the talk about Mort Rainey. "They always go back to the way they were before, so don't worry about it."

"Oh, shove it, Alex," another nurse said, glaring at him. "We all know you hate Mort Rainey like dogs hate cats, so don't try and fix someone you hate; you'll only try and make him worse than he already is."

"Alright, that's enough!" Dr. Vincent said, slamming his fist on the table. "I know that some of you have a fondness for Mr. Rainey and are worried about him, but his punishments need to be carried out to the end, no matter what. It's for his own good, and for the good of the person he was involved with. Now let's move on to other patients."

All talk eventually turned towards other patients, though most of the staff held a place in their minds for Mort Rainey.

* * *

_The Next Day: Kayla's POV_:

'_This investigation is going nowhere_,' she inwardly groaned, extremely disappointed in herself.

It had been two weeks since Mort had been locked away and separated from her, and still she'd turned up nothing. Well, that wasn't true…Kayla and managed to eliminate several members of the staff as possible accusers against Mort, but that was it. There were still a dozen others who might have done it, and most of them she didn't even know the names of! The worst part was, if she asked Holly for their names, her friend would get suspicious because she knew Kayla never really interacted with the nursing staff or orderlies that much.

'_Guess I'll have to find another way to narrow down the list_,' she thought, aggressively rubber-stamping a document to vent her frustration. '_At least I managed to get some more details out of Holly about the "anonymous tip" to Dr. Vincent._'

It was sometimes a good thing to have a fairly gossipy friend, especially one that could hand over information to someone they trust at the drop of a hat. Holly had managed to find out that the details of the encounter were kept confidential, so the only people who knew what _officially_ happened were Dr. Vincent and the anonymous informant. Holly only knew the general information, which basically stated that a patient had formed a prohibited intimate encounter with a person from the hospital.

'_So all I have to do is find the person who knows the details and I have our accuser_,' she thought happily. '_It sounds easy enough, I guess.' _She sighed_. 'I just hope that Mort manages to hold up a bit longer, because I have no idea how long his punishment is or when he's going to be released_.'

Sighing, Kayla slowly lost herself in her work and her thoughts about Mort.

* * *

_Two day's Later, Alex's POV_:

He was so close to his goal he could almost taste it. He'd managed to get Mort locked away in isolation, and had gotten him separated from Kayla, all in one shot! Now came the hard part: winning Kayla over to him.

Alex didn't know why he was so drawn to Kayla. Maybe it was the fact that she kept refusing him, apparently playing hard to get. Several girls had tried it before, and all had failed in their attempts, thanks to his way with words and actions.

'_I'm just a persistent guy_, _I guess_,' he thought, gazing across the room towards the reception area.

He knew he was wearing her down because she'd opened up to talk to him more during this past week, and now he had to risk asking her out on a date. Well, maybe not a '_date'_, but at least lunch in the staff cafeteria; he could work up the ladder from there. Alex just hoped and prayed that she'd say yes…or at least agree to lunch 'between friends.' Yes, the old 'friends' card just might work, considering she didn't like him in that way…yet. Well, it was time to make his move. Smoothing his hair and clothes, he strolled over to the reception desk and tapped the glass. He saw her look over, and a small smile crease her lips as she stood up to open the window.

"Hi, Kayla," he said, grinning at her.

"Hi, Alex, what's up?" she asked.

"Just wanted to know if you wanted to grab some lunch from the cafeteria tomorrow," Alex replied, still smiling. He saw her hesitate. "As friends," he added, silently praying she'd say 'yes.'

She still looked a little unsure of herself. "Oh, I don't know, Alex," she said, chewing on her lower lip in thought. "I mean, I don't really know you that well and everything."

"Well, think of this as a nice way to get to know me," he said, subtly trying to push her to accept. "Then I can get to know you, and we can get to know each other."

Kayla hesitated a second longer before speaking. "Well, as long as you realize that it's between _friends_," she said, looking him in the eye as she stressed the word 'friends'.

"Of course between friends," Alex quickly replied, inwardly dancing with joy. "I'll see you tomorrow at lunchtime, okay? How's that?"

"That's fine," Kayla said before turning to answer the phone.

Alex felt like he'd won the lottery as he walked down the hall, silently celebrating today's victory. He'd get Kayla to like him yet!

* * *

_Kayla's POV_:

She really couldn't believe that she'd agreed to have lunch with Alex, but it was the only way she could get to know him and see if he was the one that had framed Mort. Well, not framed, but at least accused him without any proof than his own word on the matter. Still, it was a long shot, but she really couldn't pass up this opportunity to dig deeper into the mind of a man who probably wanted to destroy a person's life just for the hell of it!

'_I just hope I'm not in over my head here_,' she thought, fiddling with a pen as she stared at the papers in front of her. '_But I have to do this if I'm going to help Mort_.'

The thought of helping Mort decided her; she'd go through with that lunch tomorrow if it was the last thing she did!

* * *

AN: I know, cheesy ending to the chapter, but it's the best I could do after my vacation! Please review, I didn't get a lot for the two previous chapters, and that made me feel that people no longer like this story. Please show your support by reviewing! Thank you! 


	14. Discoveries

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort/Johnny Depp or their sexy bodies…though I wish I did!

AN: **_This story is almost over_**! I just thought I'd mention that I love my reviewers, I really do. They pick me up and make me feel so happy! Thanks a lot, everyone, and enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 14: Discoveries**:

_That Night: Kayla's POV_:

Looking in the mirror, Kayla winced at her reflection. '_Oh, my God, am I **trying** to get a date with Alex_?'

It was the tenth outfit she'd tried on, and she _still_ didn't like the way she looked. It wasn't that she was trying to look nice for Alex; it was that she was trying _not_ to look nice for their 'lunch-as-friends' tomorrow. The problem with that was that all of her clothes looked at least somewhat decent on her, and some even had the ability to be suggestive towards the opposite sex. Tomorrow, she just wanted to look professional for work, but okay enough for Alex to open up and talk to her.

"I guess the black top will have to do," Kayla muttered to herself as she went back to the closet.

Presently, her black cotton blouse with short sleeves seemed like the only thing that gave her the look she wanted, so it would have to do.

"I just hope that Alex doesn't get the wrong message tomorrow at lunch," she groaned, pulling out the top and putting it on the hat stand she had in her bedroom, placing it next to the black dress pants already there. "Tomorrow is going to be a very long day."

* * *

_Mort's POV_:

Never in his whole life did he believe that time could move so slowly. Honestly, it was as though time were moving against him, causing the day to go by in a cold imitation of a river of honey, drudging by so slowly it seemed to stand still. It had been bad when his separation from Kayla had first started, but now it was worse…if he didn't see her soon, Mort felt as though he might as well throw himself out a window just to end the meaningless days without her presence.

Rolling over in his bed, Mort felt as though his heart had become a block of ice, lying cold and heavy in his chest. He wanted nothing more than to beat the crap out of the orderlies and fight his way to Kayla's side, but knew that it would get him nowhere (save for more time in the isolation ward). Mort never thought he'd feel so empty without human contact, but here it was, a gaping hole in his heart.

Sighing, Mort lay facedown on his bed to try and get some rest. He only hoped that someone would try and help him out of his situation before it was too late.

* * *

_The Next Day: Kayla's POV_:

After working her way through her stack of papers that morning, Kayla was _not_ eager for lunchtime to approach. She'd rather eat live scorpions than eat with Alex, but if she wanted to sneak some information out of him, this was the only way. Kayla felt a bit guilty for using the man this way and taking advantage of his feelings for her, but it was the only way to help Mort and therefore help their love for one another. There really was no other way to do this.

'_Well, there might be, but I'm not sure I want to go that far_,' she thought, shuddering.

No, she'd much rather eat out with Alex and have a conversation than seduce the guy into telling things she might not want to hear…especially if the conversation might include things he wanted to do to her body. After that, she'd definitely have to hurt the man before having Mort carry out the rest of the ass-kicking. Chuckling at the idea of Mort beating up Alex, Kayla went back to work, a small smile on her lips.

Finally, the clock struck twelve, signaling the start of the afternoon lunch rush to the cafeteria, and Kayla took a deep breath to steady her nerves before leaving the desk.

* * *

_Twenty Minutes Later: Kayla's POV_:

Finishing her salad, Kayla nervously moved on to her roast beef sandwich. She'd been talking to Alex for only a few minutes (not counting the time it took to get their food), and it felt like it had been going on forever. She was a shy person by nature, but could easily open up to the right person during the right situation. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those situations; talking to guys always made her nervous and her hands sweaty…especially good-looking ones.

'_Then why didn't those things happen when I was talking to Mort_?' she thought to herself, inwardly sighing as she took a bite of her sandwich.

It was probably because Mort was so different from other men. He was so sweet, so desperate for her to like him that he was willing to do anything to even look at her that it had shocked her into talking to him. After all, it's hard _not_ to respond to that sort of open desperation, and it was that desperation that had caused her to be so open to him. Talking with Mort was like talking to someone you felt like you knew all your life, and that made Kayla like him all the more.

'_Too bad talking with Alex isn't that way_,' she thought, taking another bite of roast beef.

Oh, dear Lord, how she wished talking to Alex was easy! With the exception of Mort, talking to handsome men was _not_ her forte. It was sad, but true, and it was currently making things even more difficult in helping Mort. Her gut twisted as she thought about Mort being stuck here forever because of her nervousness and spinelessness. No, she had to do this, for Mort's sake, at least; he did not deserve to be stuck here because of some jealous staff member's selfish behavior.

Alex's voice suddenly broke into her thoughts.

"Kayla, are you okay?" His voice was filled with concern.

She jerked in surprise. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine," she quickly replied, taking a quick sip of her soda to cover her embarrassment at being caught daydreaming during their "date-as-friends".

"You seem a bit preoccupied," Alex said, his eyes focusing on her face. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine, really." Kayla was relieved that she managed not to stutter or say anything embarrassing. '_Wow, this is harder than I thought. God, I wish I were talking to Mort instead_!'

A burst of warmth flooded her as an image of Mort flashed through her mind. Quickly, she quashed it; she did not need to be distracted while trying to get info out of Alex! It was odd that thoughts of Mort would prove distracting when all she was trying to do something to help him, but that was how her weird little mind worked, so she did her best not to think of Mort's face while trying to talk to Alex. Taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts, she gave Alex a small smile of assurance.

"I'm fine, really," she said again, stirring her soda with her straw to appear calm.

"Well it looked like you were thinking of something," Alex said, looking at her suspiciously. "Were you thinking about Mort Rainey?"

The question was completely unexpected and Kayla couldn't help but look at him in surprise, her mouth slightly gaping open.

"I thought so," retorted Alex, who proceeded to stab at a helpless tomato slice in his salad bowl. "You're worried about him, and it shows on his face."

"Well I can't really help it, Alex," she snapped, setting down her drink and ignoring her food in order to glare at the orderly across from her. "There's an innocent man lying alone and falsely accused in the isolation wing! How can I _not_ think about him?"

"He's not falsely accused, Kayla," growled the man in front of her. "There was a witness to it!"

"If there was a '_witness_,' then why isn't a female being punished for her alleged involvement with Mort?" she hissed at him, not wanting to cause a scene. "Sounds to me like this witness didn't see anything at all!"

"Yes, he did!" Alex ground out between his teeth, obviously trying to control his temper. "Or he overheard it, at least!"

"Then what did he hear?" Tremendous doubt crept into Kayla's voice. "An overheard encounter couldn't really count as witnessing the encounter, could it? It could have been anyone!"

'_And how would you know if someone had overheard the encounter instead of seeing it, anyway_?' Kayla silently thought to both him and herself. '_Especially when no one knows anything about the whole thing except Mort's accuser and Dr. Vincent_?'

"It _was_ Mort Rainey," Alex flatly replied as he angrily gripped his fork in a tight fist. "That voice is unmistakable, even through doors."

'_Doors_?' she thought. '_How would he know the encounter was behind a door, or know about doors being in the way of witnessing the encounter_?'

"Believe me, Kayla, Mort Rainey did it, and there's no question about it," Alex said, going back to his lunch. "Let's talk about something more pleasant, shall we?"

Kayla merely gave him a nod and half-listened to his questions, nodding and giving brief answers. She didn't need to stay after Alex's unintentional confession, but it would be rude to leave.

Besides, she wanted to think about what his reaction would be after she told Dr. Vincent everything she knew and had learned.

* * *

_One o'clock that Afternoon: Kayla's POV_:

Knocking on the entry door to the office of the chief of staff can be nerve-wracking for anyone. However, knocking when you're trying to prove a mentally disturbed man innocent of a crime is even worse. Still, Kayla knew that she had to do this, even at the expense of her job. Mort didn't deserve this, and she was the only one who could help him. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.

"Come in," called a male voice.

Kayla took another deep breath and walked inside. Dr. Vincent was seated behind his desk, a stack of papers in front of him. He gave a warm and welcoming smile when he saw her.

"Dr. Vincent?" she asked. "Could I speak to you for a moment? It's extremely important."

"Of course, Kayla." The tall doctor waved towards a chair. "Take a seat."

She sat and looked around the office nervously. "Um, I really don't know how to say this," she began, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Risking a glance up, she saw Dr. Vincent give her an encouraging look and felt a bit braver. "I'm here on behalf of Mort Rainey."

The head doctor and psychiatrist blinked at her. "You're here on his behalf how, Miss Baker?" he asked, suddenly very interested in her words.

Another deep breath. "I'm here to prove Mort Rainey innocent of the accusations against him."

Dr. Vincent leaned back in his chair. "I'm listening."

Twenty minutes later, Kayla had managed to blurt out her entire argument about Mort's innocence. She'd begun with how Alex wanted to have a relationship with her, and how the orderly was trying to frame Mort. She continued on to explain that the reason Alex would try and frame Mort was because he thought that Mort was standing in his way, especially since Kayla spent so much time together with Mort during their treatment sessions together. She also told of how she'd refused Alex's advances constantly, and believed that, since Mort was now 'out of the way,' Alex felt it was now safe enough to try and pursue her again.

After she'd finished describing the case and the situations leading up to it, she leaned back and waited to see what the man's reaction would be. In her mind, she knew that he would either believe her and let Mort go free, or dismiss her claims as something a desperate woman would say in an attempt to save a man she cared about. She held her breath as Dr. Vincent sat there, staring at a piece of paper in front of him and tapping a pen. A few minutes later, he broke the silence.

"What I don't understand, Kayla, is how you believe you 'know' that Alex is the accuser," he said, sitting up and leaning forward over his desk.

"Because he practically told me, sir," she replied, looking him right in the eye. "He told me that Mort has a very recognizable voice, one that could be evident even through a door. Everyone on the staff knows that the record is sealed and the only people who know the _exact_ _details_ of the encounter would be you and the accuser. Thus, the only people would be you and Alex."

Dr. Vincent chewed his lip. "It's still a rather far-fetched idea, Kayla," he said, looking at her with a grave expression in his eyes. "Do you have any proof of Alex falsifying these accusations?"

"You could ask any member of the staff, male or female, and they would tell you that such a thing is not above him doing," Kayla calmly replied. "Alex is not one to take 'no' for an answer, and when given such an answer, he's willing to do anything to change a person's mind…especially if it is a female mind that he has to change." She lifted her chin. "And I have no reason to lie other than to help a man whose one crime is that of wanting to be friends with the only people to treat him like a normal person."

Silence followed, and for several moments, Kayla felt her heart drop with each passing tick of the clock on the wall. She truly hoped that Dr. Vincent would see the truth, and that he would not think her story a made up one.

"I need to think on this for a little while, Miss Baker," he said, leaning back in his chair and forming a triangle by pressing his fingertips together under his chin. "I'll get in touch with you once I've researched this matter further. You may go." She stood up. "Oh, and why don't you pay a small visit to Mr. Rainey; he's missed you these past few weeks."

Kayla gave a few short nods before heading out the door towards the isolation ward.

* * *

_Five minutes later: Mort's POV_:

The sound of the door unlocking caught Mort completely by surprise. He'd been left alone by the staff for so long that a visit from anyone never crossed his mind. However, a spontaneous visit by the staff was not something he wanted by now, especially if it involved his treatment sessions or his medication. No, if it was something like that, he was fully prepared to tell the person to get the hell out of his room and leave him alone. Actually, he would probably just throw them out no matter what their business was!

As the doorknob clicked and began to open, Mort took a deep breath and prepared himself to confront the person and verbally throw them out. However, the vision that was presented to him shut his mouth and caused his mind to instantly go blank, such was the beauty of the angel in front of him.

"Kayla?" he gasped, reaching for her as though she were a mirage that would disappear at any moment. She smiled at him and his heart flipped in his chest.

"Its okay, Mort, Dr. Vincent said it's alright for me to visit you for a little while," she said, reaching out and patting his shoulder before looking back over hers. "_Alone_," she stressed, looking at the orderlies at the door. They frowned at her, but closed the door, leaving the two to their privacy.

Now that he was sure no one was looking, Mort literally threw himself at her, knocking her to the bed with a muffled '_thud_,' his lips pressed hard against hers. The loneliness in his heart instantly fled the moment their flesh connected, his body suddenly going from cold and empty to hot and raging full of love and desire for the woman currently wiggling underneath him. Their kiss broke a moment later to allow air into their gasping bodies.

"Mort," she quietly panted, obviously trying to control herself. "We can't do this now, not with them outside the door!"

Mort reluctantly nodded, giving her one last brutal kiss before helping her up from the bed. "How did you convince him to let you see me?" he whispered to her, his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her so close that it would take a first-class tornado to remove her from his grip.

Kayla gave him a soft smile. "I did a little detective work, that's all," she said, caressing his cheek, stroking it with her thumb when he nuzzled against her palm. "I found out who framed you, Mort, and I told Dr. Vincent about it. I gave him the whole scenario, and why someone would do that to you. He's currently thinking the matter over, but I'm…" she trailed off before continuing, "I'm not exactly sure what his final decision will be."

Mort sighed, his hand reaching up and pressing her hand flat against his face, never wanting the blissful physical contact to end. Suddenly needing to touch her, Mort began to stroke every inch of her body that he could reach, going from her back to her shoulders, trailing up to her neck and ending at the back of her head, where his fingers entwined themselves into the red strands of her hair. The feel of the individual silky strands around his fingers told him that she really was here with him, causing him to go semi-slack against her. Surprised, she barely had time to wrap her arms around his body to support him.

"Mort, are you alright?" she said, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes. "Mort?"

"I'm alright," he replied, quick to reassure her. "I'm just making sure that you're really here with me and not some kind of dream." He gently kissed her mouth. "Yes, definitely real."

She chuckled before pulling away from him. "We've got to be careful, Mort, remember they're listening outside," she quietly warned.

Again he sighed, but did as she asked and pulled away, taking a seat in a chair while she sat on his bed. The sight of Kayla perched at the edge of his bed made his groin tighten, but Mort forced his desires down so that nothing could happen. Gulping, Mort fought to say something non-sexual to her, but couldn't think of anything at that moment.

'_Damn it_,' he thought, reaching up to rub his face in frustration. '_I finally get her to myself after all these weeks, and I can't think of a bloody damn thing to say to her_! _And I'm supposed to be a well-known and talented writer_!'

His tongue still tied, Mort simply sat there and held Kayla's hand as she told him of her mission to help him. First, she told him how she had researched numerous members of the staff in her attempt to prove him innocent, and how she managed to get information out of them to eliminate them from the list she kept in her mind. Finally, she told him of her lunch with Alex, and how he had unknowingly confessed his secret accusations against Mort. Once she'd explained everything, Mort sat there and took it all in.

Even though he shouldn't have been, Mort was surprised at how determined she'd been to do all of this, just to help him. It made him love her even more, knowing that she cared so much about him that she was practically sacrificing her job here at the hospital to help him. When Kayla had mentioned her lunch with Alex, Mort did his best to control himself and not go out and kick the crap out of the orderly. He secretly pictured the evilest sort of beating and torture for the other man, but swore he wouldn't act it out. If he did, all of his treatment sessions would be for nothing, and prison was _not_ something he wanted looming in his future!

Mort quietly cleared his throat. "So what happens now?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder towards the door and the orderlies likely standing outside of it.

"We wait," Kayla replied, also glancing at the door. "Dr. Vincent still has to think the whole matter over and question Alex about a lot of things." She gently squeezed Mort's hand. "All we can do is wait."

* * *

AN: I'm not sure what should happen to Alex. While I'm all for a good ass-kicking, I'm sure that nothing I write will please everyone. Plus, being truly evil is not really my thing, so you'll have to visualize it yourself if you don't like the punishment that I give him. Anyways, _review_! 


	15. Return to the Way Things Were

Disclaimer: I don't own Mort Rainey or anything **_Secret Window_**…or **_Lord of the Rings_** either.

AN: We're almost at the end, people! Just this one and an epilogue! Anyway, enjoy the story while you can before I move on. Oh, and I hope that people aren't mad about the punishment I chose for Alex; it's the best I could do, but if you feel like its not up to par, feel free to imagine your own torture for the guy. Also, I'm sorry for any cheesy parts towards the end of the chapter: for anyone who's seen **_Fellowship of the Ring_**, the sappy part Kayla's mouthing along to is the one where Aragorn and Arwen are on the bridge together. Ciao for now!

**Chapter 15: Return to the Way Things Were**:

_A Week Later: Author's POV_:

The past week had been a mixed blessing for both Mort and Kayla as they tried to make up for lost time. Mort did everything he could to go back to the improving patient that he was, and the staff was amazed at how much better he behaved now that Kayla was back in his life. He tried harder to look good, his interactions with both staff and patients were improving, and he ate healthier than he did before. The man he was before his separation from Kayla was only a taste of the man that Mort was now. With Kayla behind him as a driving force, Mort had improved dramatically and nothing seemed to hold him back.

However, there was only thing that seemed to hang over the two of them: the fact that Dr. Vincent still had not made his final decision on the matter of Mort's innocence and probable release from the institution.

* * *

_Two Weeks after Being Reunited: Kayla's POV_:

"I hear he's making incredible progress," one nurse whispered to another as they walked down the hallway. "I've never seen anything like it, and neither has anyone else!"

"It's like a miracle," her comrade quietly replied. "Some people say there's an angel with that man, and if I hadn't seen his progress with my own eyes, I'd never have believed them."

Kayla tried to hold back her amusement. Mort had surprised everyone with his astounding comeback, and had blown even the most experienced psychiatrist away with his actions. He was interacting with people quite well, he smiled at everyone in a happy fashion, and had no more violent episodes with either patients or staff. Morton Rainey had become quite the changed man in a very short time, and Kayla felt a great deal of pride knowing that _she_ was the reason Mort wanted to change so badly.

A tap on the window snapped her out of her thoughts, and a peek out the corner of her eye told her it was Mort. A happy grin was plastered on his face, and a perfect set of teeth sparkled at her, causing her to grin in return. Putting down her file folder, she walked over to the window and slid it open. A rose was passed through the window and gentle stroke of the fingers was his reward.

Kayla smiled at him. "How are you doing today, Mort?" she asked, setting the flower in a bottle of water she kept close by for that purpose.

Mort gave her a smile that soon withered slightly. "I'm alright," he said, looking at her hands through the window, apparently wanting to touch her but knowing that such a thing was suspicious to the staff members.

She quickly scanned his face. "You're worried about Dr. Vincent, aren't you?" she whispered. "I can see it in your eyes."

Mort sighed and nodded. "It's been weeks, Kayla," he whispered back to her. "How long could it possibly take to make a judgment on this sort of thing?"

"And here I was thinking that it was the woman's place to worry about everything," Kayla joked, coaxing a smile out of him. "These sorts of things take time, Mort, you know that."

Mort sighed again. "But I want to get out of here," he said, glancing around the area for possible spies. "I want to get out of here and date you like a normal man would." He looked her in the eye. "I want to romance you like the enchanting woman that you are."

Kayla blushed as she spotted Holly approaching them. She quickly cleared her throat and tried to hide her red cheeks as the nurse entered the reception desk, careful to place the rose out in the open. Many of the staff members believed that such things were simply '_thank you_' presents from Mort, tokens meant to show gratitude for the aid of a much-needed friend. Kayla and Mort saw no reason to disprove that idea, and instead took advantage of it, especially during the past couple of weeks.

"Hey, Holly, what's up? You seem awfully cheerful for a Monday," Kayla teased, noticing a very happy smile on her friend's face.

"Oh, nothing," Holly said, giving them a smile that screamed that she knew something they would give their right arm to hear. "I just wanted to say that Dr. Vincent wants to talk to the two of you in his office. _Right now_."

Both Kayla and Mort exchanged looks of surprise and nervousness, but it was Kayla who spoke first. "Do you know why he wants to see us?" she slowly asked, looking somewhat uneasy at the news.

"Nope," Holly shook her head. "I didn't ask; knowing me, it'd probably be all over the hospital as gossip in less than a few hours. It's probably something only the two of you should know, so you should both be hauling your butt over there, ASAP. I'll watch the desk, don't worry."

Kayla nodded as she headed outside of the plastic shielding, her insides quivering with nervousness. This could very well be the meeting that she and Mort were waiting for, the one which would decide the fate of the man she loved. Swallowing, she reached out for Mort and took his arm, assuming the appearance of leading him towards Dr. Vincent's office when, in reality, it was the opposite. The two of them approached the room, both of them knocking on the door together.

"Come in," called a tired male voice.

Recognizing the voice, the two entered, stopping in surprise when they spotted Alex sitting in one of three chairs opposite Dr. Vincent. The two other seats were to Alex's right, putting them in better eye-contact with the chief of staff. Nervously, Kayla led Mort to the chairs, where they both sat down, avoiding any sort of glance with Alex as they did so.

"I'm glad the two of you could be here, Mr. Rainey, Kayla," Dr. Vincent said, nodding at the two of them. "Now we can officially get to the bottom of this whole mess. What do you say?"

What else could they say? To put this all behind them would be the greatest thing in the world, other than Mort getting released from the hospital! The two of them nodded in agreement, and Dr. Vincent turned to look at Alex, raising an eyebrow in a sort of signal for the younger man to explain himself and his actions to everyone.

Alex cleared his throat and had an angry gleam in his eye as he made his attempt to speak a good argument in favor of what he'd done. However, when he opened his mouth, nothing came out, and the angry gleam in his eyes burned brighter than it had before. Once more he tried to explain himself, but again, nothing emerged. Instead, he turned and glared at Mort, refusing to say a word.

Dr. Vincent sighed. "Alright, since Alex refuses to say anything, I guess I'll have to take over the conversation."

And so the whole thing was revealed, nearly word-for-word in accordance with what Kayla had told him over two weeks prior to that day. He explained Alex's attraction to Kayla the day she had first started on the job, and his desire to somehow obtain a date or possible relationship with her. His explanation further told of how, in his anger of Mort's close relationship with Kayla, Alex had formulated a plan to get the author out of the way so that he could have her to himself. After weeks of sneaking around and finding nothing that could cause a rift between Kayla and Mort, Alex had resorted to old-fashioned spying on Mr. Rainey in an attempt to find out some sort of 'dirt' that he could form the base of some sort of accusations against his competition.

"However," Dr. Vincent said, glancing from one face to another, "given the hostility against Mr. Rainey, it is unlikely that such accusations will hold up. With no true proof of forbidden interactions with patients or staff members, Mr. Rainey file has been wiped clean of all charges and accusations."

"But I heard him in a closet with someone!" Alex cried in disbelief. "Its not false if I heard it, is it?"

"Given your dislike against the accused, such evidence is void, Mr. Connor," Dr. Vincent snapped.

Kayla jolted at the mention of Alex's last name; it was the first she had ever heard of it. She looked between the two men and took a deep breath. "So what does that mean for Mort?" she asked.

Dr. Vincent looked towards her. "Well, since he's made considerable progress and his file had been cleared, Mr. Rainey will be free to go in a month or so, depending on whether or not he regresses back to his former ways."

"No!" Alex yelled, leaping up from his chair in anger. "He's been fooling around with a woman from the hospital, I heard him! I swear that it's true! There was a man and a woman's voice, and one of them was Mort Rainey's!"

"Alex, your word is hardly credible at this point," stated the chief-of-staff. "You've harbored intense hatred and a thirst for revenge for a long period of time, and have abused your power of authority over the patients and staff by using it to try and get a relationship with a member of said staff! I hardly think that sort of thing makes your word believable and credible, don't you?"

The next thing they knew, Alex had managed to get his hands tangled in Mort's collar, tightening the garment and holding him so that they were eye to eye. In a panic, Kayla reached to try and pry the orderly away from Mort, but was having no success. As she tried to get between the two men, she noticed that Dr. Vincent was reaching under his desk, but pulling nothing out. Not understanding the doctor's actions, Kayla returned her attention to the task at hand.

"Tell them what happened in the closet," Alex threatened. "Tell them now, or else!"

Mort opened his mouth but couldn't get a word out, so tightly was Alex clutching his collar. While air could apparently get to his lungs, there was no way he would be able to provide an answer to the orderly's threat. Instead, Mort kicked out with his leg and kneed Alex in the groin. The younger man released Mort's collar and was soon on his knees, gasping in pain as a number of other orderlies burst in and restrained him.

"Frank, would you and Seamus here take Alex and put him in one of the rooms in the isolation ward?" Dr. Vincent asked. "I'll give you the signal when I feel he's calmed down enough to be let go."

"Sure thing, sir," Frank replied, dragging his once fellow orderly away. The door closed behind the three men, Alex now yelling in pain and anger as he was hauled away.

Meanwhile, Kayla was stroking Mort's back and helping him to regain his breath. She carefully rubbed his back, murmuring comforting words in his ear as he massaged his throat and the back of his neck where the collar had left an imprint in his skin. After a few moments, Mort was breathing much better, and the two could now turn their attention back to Dr. Vincent.

"So I'll be a free man in a month?" Mort rasped, his throat still a bit bruised from his encounter with Alex. Kayla made a concerned noise in her throat and poured him a glass of water from a pitcher on the desk. Mort eagerly gulped the water down and waited for Kayla to pour him another as the man across from him began to speak.

"Maybe less, if your progress improves," replied Dr. Vincent with a grin. "I don't see why not. Your publisher and your agent will be thrilled, and from what I've heard, your fans have been clamoring for a new book from you."

Mort simply smiled and turned his attention towards Kayla, who handed him another glass of water. "It's funny that one man's obsession with a woman can be thought of as harmful and disturbing, and another could be thought of as simply normal and persistent," he said, glancing back at the other man. "Funny old world, isn't it?" He took another sip of his drink.

"It sure is," Kayla muttered back. "We all thought Mort was the insane one, with his constantly trying to talk to me, and yet it was really Alex we should have been watching for dangerous behaviors actions."

"And for that I am truly sorry," Dr. Vincent apologized. "Perhaps we should keep Alex here for a while, just to test him for mental stability and such."

"I'm all for that idea," Kayla said, raising her hand as though in a vote. "It might be good for him to stay here for a while and see how it feels to be treated the way he treated Mort."

Her boss sighed. "Well, we can't do that, it's against hospital policy," he said, leaning back in his chair. "But I have to admit that keeping Alex here for a little while might really be good for him. You know…in helping to break his obsession with Kayla and everything…"

The other two couldn't agree more with that statement. As a comfortable silence enveloped the room, Mort and Kayla tried to think of what the two of them could do while waiting out the next four weeks…

* * *

_Night, Three Weeks Later: Kayla's POV_:

With Mort's behavior not regressing in any way, the hospital psychiatrists had agreed to let him out a week early. When Mort had walked out the front door, Kayla had the painful experience of watching him leave without her by his side. Trying to hold back the pain, she turned back towards the desk that held a pile of papers a foot tall.

The two of them had agreed that Kayla quitting her job too soon after Mort's release would look incredibly suspicious, so she was forced to play the roll of a proud friend and caretaker of Mort as he hugged her and kissed her (chastely) goodbye in front of several observing nurses and orderlies. After their goodbyes, Mort had walked out the front door, a pile of story ideas in his arms and a semi-happy smile on his lips. He was quickly put into a limo and driven away, his agent and publicist by his side.

Watching Mort leave without her had been heartbreaking, but Mort had sworn that he would top by later that night so that they could have some private time together. As nightfall rolled around, Kayla was frantically pacing her apartment, wondering if he would indeed return to her. A thousand thoughts swirled through her mind, the primary one consisting of Mort possibly meeting a beautiful supermodel and leaving her all alone. After all, Kayla knew such women existed: there was always someone out there who was better looking, and more talented that you, no matter who you were.

A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts, and Kayla ran to answer it. It was Mort, and he had a bag of Chinese food and a very large bottle red wine in his hands.

"Dinner for two, anyone?" he asked, giving her a very sexy smirk.

Half an hour later, the two of them were curled up around each other on the floor in front of the television, watching Kayla's **_Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring_** DVD and drinking wine. Kayla was watching a particularly romantic part of the film and mouthing the lines along with the couple onscreen, her eyes starting to shimmer with tears.

"I love that part," she said, blowing her nose on a tissue that Mort had somehow conjured up. "It's so beautiful and romantic!"

Mort seemed to fidget beside her. "Well, since we're so into a romantic part of the film, how's this for an added scene to the film?" he asked, pulling out a box from his pocket.

Kayla glanced at the box, its significance not really registering in her slightly drunken brain. Instead of squealing with joy, she simply looked at him in puzzlement as she took the box and opened it. Inside was a ring made of white gold, with a beautiful round white diamond and two small pale pear-shaped yellow diamonds on either side, shimmering with a thousand lights.

"It's beautiful," she said, gazing at it in awe.

"It'd look even better once it's where it's supposed to be," Mort whispered into her ear as he took the box from her.

He silently plucked the ring from the box and slipped it onto her left ring finger, the gems catching and reflecting the light from the T.V. and the moonlight beaming in from outside. It took Kayla a little while to realize that Mort was asking of her.

"Oh, my GOD!" she cried, sitting up straight and looking him in the eye. "Mort, are you sure about this?" she asked, glancing between him and the ring. "I mean _really_ sure about this? You're not doing this too soon because you have to, or because you -"

Kayla's voice was cut off by Mort's lips crashing against hers. Several minutes passed as they tasted each other's lips, enjoying the alcohol mixing with the unique taste of their lover's mouth. As the need for air became apparent, Mort broke the kiss and looked her in the eye.

"I want you to marry me, Kayla," he whispered, caressing her face with his fingertips. "I need you with me forever."

Kayla tried to steady her heart and nervous breathing. "What about your books, Mort?" she asked, leaning forward to rub his nose with hers. "And my job at the hospital? I thought you wanted me to keep it for a while."

"Forget that," he said, pulling her into his lap and holding her tightly. "Let's just go away together and surprise everyone with our marriage. What do you say, baby? You and me, together, in another place far away from here?"

Kayla grinned. "That would cause a horrible scandal," she muttered, giving him a quick, hot kiss on the lips. "It might stop people from buying your books."

"Nah, people love scandal, it makes the world go round," Mort softly replied as he kissed her in return. "So what do you say?"

"Hmm," she said, pretending to think about it. "What would you do if I said something other than 'yes'?"

A sudden hot look flashed in Mort's deep brown eyes, seriously turning her on. "Then I'll have to do what they did in the old days," he replied, growling in the back of his throat as he clutched her tighter, holding on as though she were the only thing keeping him alive at that point in time.

Now she was curious _and_ turned on. "Really?" she asked, grinning at him. "What did they do back in the 'old days,' Mr. Rainey?"

Mort suddenly had her pinned underneath him on the floor. A very naughty smirk quirked the corners of his lips, causing her heart to beat faster. "I'd have to kidnap you, force you to marry me and ravish you like the villain I am."

Kayla giggled with delight as he proceeded to kiss her neck and rub it with his beard and mustache. "Then I guess I'll have to accept your marriage proposal, won't I, Mr. Rainey?" she teased, looking up at him. "We can't have you becoming an outlaw, now, can we?"

"Oh, I don't know…" he said, grinning down at her. "I can be an outlaw if you want me to be."

Kayla looked up at him with a seductive grin. "Really?" she said, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Care to show me?"

Mort growled as he swung her up off the floor and over his shoulder, causing her to let out a small squeal of surprise. He chuckled as she began to protest and plea for him to let her down.

"You really shouldn't challenge a man like that, darling," he said, giving her butt a small whack. "It could get you into trouble."

"Maybe there's a way I can get myself out of trouble?" she said suggestively.

Mort smirked. "Maybe…I'm open to suggestions…"

* * *

AN: **_This was the_ _last chapter_**! The next is an epilogue and that's it for my **_Secret Window_** fics, so **_review_**! 


	16. Happy Endings Do Happen

Disclaimer: I still don't own Mort/Johnny Depp or their sexy bodies…though I wish I did!

AN: **This is the end, folks!** Here is the epilogue of _Love of My Dreams_…I hope you like it, and I hope to see some of you in the **_Pirates_** section, reading my work. It's possible (though not likely) that I'll write another **_Secret Window_** story in the future, but since I'm out of ideas, it might not happen. Unless someone has an idea that they want me to write for them or co-write with them, this is probably the last of my **_Secret Window_** works. Ciao, and thanks for all of your support!

**Epilogue: Happy Endings Do Happen**:

_Nine Months Later: Author's POV_:

Anything is possible in life, even when it doesn't seem like it and the world is against you. Mort Rainey and Kayla Baker had found that out the hard way.

When the two had announced their intention to marry three days after Mort's release, Kayla had promptly been dismissed from her job at the mental institution, and couldn't have been happier about it. Mort had been equally happy that she no longer worked at the institution, since Alex had been committed there as a temporary patient and had taken to hanging around Kayla more than necessary. The couple was glad to leave all unhappy memories of the mental ward behind them; the only thing they had taken with them was the happy fact that Holly and her husband, Tony, would be coming to their wedding. However, things tended to get more complicated afterwards.

Kayla's family members had been horrified that she was going to marry a former mental patient, and her parents had immediately flown to New York to talk her out of it. The three Bakers had argued with one another for days before her parents had angrily stormed off, refusing to come to the ceremony. However, her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from both her parent's sides had agreed to come to show that, even though they didn't exactly approve of her choice, they did so in order to give her some emotional and family support for the event. Mort had even flown in Kayla's best friend to be a major female pillar of strength, for which Kayla was extremely grateful.

The ceremony had taken place two months after the two had gotten engaged. It had been small (if you can call the 40-odd people who were from Kayla's family '_small'_) but sweet, with the best that Mort could buy: a simple white gown of silk and crystal beading was worn by the bride, and her bridesmaids (i.e.: female cousins, Holly, and her childhood best friend) had been dressed in pale blue. Mort had donned a custom-made tuxedo, and had happily watched Kayla be given away by her very emotional grandfather.

When the two had been announced husband and wife, sealing their union with a kiss, the sounds coming from the bride's family had been enormous, and Mort had suddenly been accepted into the family. Apparently watching Mort and Kayla be romantic and loving around one another had convinced all of her family members that she was doing the right thing in marrying him, and so they had decided to make him an official family member. The night had been filled with joy, laughter, and _lots_ of food and drinks, making sure that no one had noticed the bride and groom leaving the ceremony for a night alone together.

Presently, said newlyweds were in Mort's cabin in the woods, enjoying much-needed peace and quiet. Amazingly, Mort's agent had managed to keep his affairs in order, and had maintained the cabin in the hopes that his friend would soon be released from the hospital. Mort was currently lying on the couch, his head in Kayla's lap as she stroked his hair, the two of them listening to the television blare the latest news from Hollywood.

As usual, the hosts were talking about the latest scandals, and the Rainey marriage was, of course, one of them. Even though it was nine months later, the press _still_ thought that Mort was going to lose his mind again at any second and murder his wife in her sleep. It would have been funny, had Mort not taken it as an insult to his mental health and the love he held for his wife. Kayla, however, got a good laugh out of it, so Mort decided not to take legal action against anyone. Instead, he simply sat around the house and ignored it so that he could focus on writing out his story ideas. Surprisingly, Mort had actually published one of his works a few days after their wedding, and people were still buying it up as quickly as they could get their hands on it. Mort had done exactly what he had previously promised himself: he was providing a good life for his wife, and was doing a fantastic job of it!

"So what do you want to do tonight, Angel?" Mort asked, looking up at his beautiful wife's face from his head's comfortable place in her lap. "Movie? Music? Snuggling?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She laughed, causing his heart to jump in his chest. "Snuggling sounds good," she said, tangling her fingers in his hair. "But after I tell you something that'll make the media lose their minds again when they found out."

Mort looked at her, suspicion in his eyes. "You're not adopting a pet are you?" he asked. "Because you know they'll claim I'm torturing it and eating it by the end of the week."

Kayla let out a laugh that filled the cabin. "No, I promise it's not like that," she assured him. "Although it will be really big news."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Alright, love, spill it out." Mort waited for the shoe to drop.

"I'm pregnant."

Mort's eyes shot open and he sat straight up. _That_ wasn't what he was expecting. Looking deep into her eyes, he saw she was telling the truth and jumped off the couch, pulling her into his arms as he danced her around the cabin. After several moments, he led her upstairs and the two of them curled up in bed, Kayla's head on his chest.

"I never thought I'd have a happy ending," he whispered into her hair as he held her tight and his eyes fluttered shut. "I never thought I'd marry an angel, or that she would give me a child."

Kayla giggled sleepily. "You know what?" she asked. She waited until she heard him make a noise of inquiry before answering. "I think that this would make a great story," she murmured before drifting off to sleep. "What do you think?"

* * *

AN: Okay, kind of sucky ending, but that's the best I could do without resorting to an extraordinary amount of sap and dragging the whole thing out. I hope that you enjoyed my story and that I didn't bore anyone too badly with it. Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers for your support, and I'll hopefully see you again in another category! If you're curious about my works, see my bio page for news and postings and stuff. Bye, everybody! 


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